Commissioners overseeing the Vashon park District are poised to make a move next week regarding a proposal to cover the Vashon Pool.

Pool manager Scott Bonney, along with members of Vashon’s Seals swim team presented a proposalfor an inflatable “bubble” pool covering to a three-person Vashon Park District (VPD) board on Feb. 14. Scott Harvey and Luann Branch were not in attendance, which prevented the board from taking action on the subject.

“There was no motion because we barely had quorum,” VPD board chair Karen Gardner said Monday. “We haven’t had complete board attendance to talk about it.”

The proposal outlines an agreement between VPD and the Seals in which the Seals provide funding to purchase an inflatable dome to cover the pool in the off-season (October through May 2018). The Seals would also pay for costs associated with the 10 hours of weekly practice they use the pool for every week. VPD would be responsible for maintenance and operations, including lifeguards, beyond those 10 hours per week.

“This idea represents an expansion and enhancement of recreational and educational opportunities,” Bonney said.

The proposal states the Seals will pay $85,300 for the dome and initial setup costs. The swim team of 100 members will also fundraise to pay $850 per week for the hours of Seals practice time.

On VPD’s end, the Seals are asking the organization to provide for ongoing operations and maintenance, estimated at around $116,000 annually, beginning with its 2018 budget. However, with the Seals paying VPD $32,300 annually for their time in the pool and annual community use revenue estimated at nearly $29,000, VPD’s net cost for the bubble is $55,000 per year.

“The Seals contribute 53 percent of total revenue, and use 30 percent of the hours,” the presentation notes.

Initially, if the pool covering is approved by the VPD board, the pool will be open 33 hours per week October through May with 23 hours dedicated to non-Seals use.

In the presentation, the plan to cover the pool is lauded as a step toward a permanent solution for a year-round pool and a way to provide more community swim opportunities. Lap swim, swimming lessons, open swim and other community classes are among the activities possible if the pool is covered.

The discussion comes at a crucial time for the park district as the organization just recently received the results from its community survey conducted over the summer. The pool received the highest priority among deferred maintenance projects that included Ober Park, Tramp Harbor Dock and the VES Fields. A pool cover received moderate priority among community identified projects.

The Feb. 14 presentation was the second given to the board about the topic in recent months. Seals Board President Karin Choo and other parents of Seals team members gave a presentation in November in hopes of having the park district set aside funds in its 2017 budget. At that time, the board expressed interest in the project, but did not have the money available in the nearly complete 2017 budget.

“At the time (of the November presentation), the 2017 budget priorities were eliminating loans, reducing or eliminating the TAN (tax anticipation note) … (and) contributing to the capital reserve that we would have for capital expenditures going forward,” Bonney explained. “With all those goals, there wasn’t room in the 2017 budget to do anything with the cover. The Seals said, ‘Maybe we should step back and put something together for the 2018 budget.’”

VPD board chair Gardner said while the board definitely has interest in the proposal, it is not unanimous.

“We want to (cover the pool), we just may not be able to afford it. That’s where the reluctance comes in,” she said.