School board, city to discuss tennis court repairs
Laguna Beach officials are proposing the city pay an additional $100,000 for upgrades to the tennis courts across Park Avenue from Laguna Beach High School, Community Services Director Ben Siegel said.
Both Laguna Beach Unified School District and city staff agree that the six tennis courts need to be resurfaced and court fences need to be replaced.
They will discuss the tennis court improvements as well as repairs to the adjacent community pool at a special public meeting at 4 p.m. Monday at district headquarters, 550 Blumont St.
City and school board staff are in negotiations over the joint-use agreement between the two entities, Siegel said.
The community accounts for 70% of court usage with the remaining 30% reserved for high school practices and matches.
Under the current usage model where the city pays for 70% of the costs while the district pays 30%, an additional $100,000 would bring the city’s contribution to $310,000, while the district’s portion would be $132,857. The city initially earmarked $210,000 for the tennis center project.
Beyond the court resurfacing and fence repairs, city and school district officials each have their own ideas of what to add to the project.
City officials have expressed interest in adding player benches, $10,853, and court lighting, $20,285, according to the agenda. Certain school district officials support installing spectator seating, $11,822, a shade structure, $24,549, and court storage, $34,368, and repairing a retaining wall, $17,636, .
“[The school-district supported enhancements] benefit the district, so if the district wants to fund it, so be it,” Siegel said. “That does not fall under the community usage [that the city favors].”
A City Council subcommittee of Mayor Kelly Boyd and Mayor Pro Tem Elizabeth Pearson approved the city’s $100,000 additional proposal, Siegel said.
School board members need to approve any added options and district staff will return to the board for approval to solicit bids for construction, and then again for any final contract award.
“It’s really prioritization, how [the district board] wants to spend the [money],” said Dean West, the district’s assistant superintendent of business services.
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Pool repairs
Also on the agenda is possible repairs of the community pool at the high school. City and school district officials met at the pool Jan. 16 to review the city’s proposed projects for the pool.
City officials deemed four projects as top priority during their walk-through for the 2013-14 school year, according to a staff report: installing six new filters; replacing the current cracked concrete pad the pool heater stands on; leveling the uneven deck surface and installing new drains atop the deck to replace broken and rusted ones; and replacing underwater light bulbs with energy-efficient LED lights. The document said underwater lights become loose and float to the pool’s surface.
Laguna would be required to pay 70% of any costs, about $160,300, to upgrade the pool per the current joint-use agreement. The district would be required to pay $68,700 for these repairs.
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50-meter pool
The board will also receive information from staff and discuss, with community comments, on the feasibility of a 50-meter pool, which Laguna Beach does not have, and security cameras at school campuses at Monday’s meeting.
Twitter: @AldertonBryce