The Bartlett trampoline controversy was caused after the Bronson administration failed to follow the public process, according to the LaFrance administration

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A special meeting of the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Commission scheduled for Wednesday, which Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s administration says is aimed at acknowledging the concerns of the diving and swimming community for the controversial installation of trampolines in the only 50 meters of the state. swimming pool at Bartlett High School: “skirted” the public process under the former Bronson administration.

Becky Windt Pearson said that normally, Parks and Recreation assets, including trampolines, require Assembly participation, including appropriations and ordinances, added under Title IV of the municipal code that both members of the Commission on Parks and Recreation review the contracts and open the process to the public. to comment

“The (LaFrance) administration supports us having a public process,” Windt Pearson said. “This project was done by a private group (Dimond Alumni Special Projects, Inc.) pursuant to a (memorandum of understanding) that did not actually end up requiring any kind of Assembly review, so there is no there was no public process.

“We have arrived at the place where we are now because the municipality of the last administration did not require any type of public procedure to be able to go ahead with the project”.

Wednesday’s meeting will include a report from Bettisworth North Architects, along with a pool design subcontractor, followed by public testimony around the highly controversial jumps, which a half-dozen Alaska lawmakers have previously called for of October 25.

In the letter from Anchorage Sens. Bill Wielechowski, Löki Gale Tobin, Matt Claman and Forrest Dunbar, along with Anchorage Rep. Cliff Groh and Juneau Rep. Sara Hannan, the lawmakers expressed concern about not seeing the state funding was allocated to what they characterized as limitations. of improvements

“Currently, as we understand the design, the 3-meter Bartlett diving boards prevent full competitive access to all lanes for official, USA Swimming-sanctioned competitions,” the lawmakers wrote. “We understand that any additional delays will impact the ability of Alaskan athletes, at the local and state level, who may not be able to compete at this facility as a result.”

The letter also supports a proposal naming the Bettye Davis East High School pool as a designated site for diving practices and competitions, which many in the state’s swimming community have been suggesting since install the tables.

Mike Braniff, director of the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department, which manages all municipal pools, including Bartlett, took responsibility for Parks and Recreation’s failure to provide adequate oversight of the project at an assembly meeting earlier this month

He previously told Alaska’s News Source Investigates that the township would investigate swimmers’ concerns about the new stretches.

Wednesday’s special meeting is part of a public input process that Braniff committed to during the committee session.

People like Eagle River High School swim coach Bryce Carpenter have been outspoken against the boards since the installation took place over the summer.

In an earlier interview, similar to state lawmakers, Carpenter not only pointed to Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School as a more appropriate home to host state diving, but also expressed the safety concerns the boards pose for swimmers.

“I have several kids who are over 6-foot-3 than if they just go right up on the block,” Carpenter previously said. “Knock your head on the ceramic base and your head will pop open.”

Along with safety concerns, limitations on the competitions that the state’s only 50-meter pool can host have also been the sticking point for many in the swimming community.

The Alaska School Activities Association met with referee Stacey Mank, who said in an earlier interview that the trampolines pose significant challenges in accommodating up to 400 children at a time, ages 5 to 19.

“These particular 2-meter dives have affected our ability to maintain safe and fair competition, and it’s not just affecting our high school swimmers, it’s affecting our age group swimmers across the state,” he said. Mank said.

The installation of the trampoline was part of a $400,000 grant awarded to the Dimond Alumni Association three years ago to replace trampolines throughout the township. Dimond Alumni member Matt McDaniel, a longtime advocate for new Bartlett boards, was instrumental in procuring this grant.

As president of the Arctic Diving Club and a community swimming coach for more than 30 years, McDaniel said the addition of the additional 10-foot-tall springboard was for the purpose of allowing the club to hold U.S. sectional meets , which those in the diving community have said has been a target for 40 years.

In an earlier interview, McDaniel said his diving group has already taken action to address comments from Parks and Recreation leaders about divers’ concerns.

“We went back and re-verified all our evidence, with our building permits, with our fire signature and the testimony of other pool managers out of the country, and we thought this was good,” he said McDaniel.

Windt Pearson acknowledged the challenge facing the current administration, tasked with finding a compromise between two groups with valid claims.

“I think any recommendation that comes to the Commission, and a decision that we have to make here, is going to be difficult,” Windt Pearson said. “We have a group of users that really puts a lot of energy and a lot of effort into an asset that is in many ways a dream asset … and then we have another group of users, the swimmers, that really reward this group.”

The meeting is scheduled to begin at the Spenard Community Recreation Center at 6 p.m

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