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2020/2021 Barranca Mesa Pool Board Members
Nina Epperson……….Membership
Sarah Work……………...Secretary
Jenn Best………………..Treasurer
Jeremy Best.….…………….President
Tim Foley………...……Vice President
Amelia Epperson…....Employment
Jorg Jansen………………….......House
Please send an email to board@barrancapool.com if you are interested in joining the Board
November 2021 Annual Meeting
The Barranca Mesa Pool Association annual meeting will be held Monday November 1, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. Meeting will be held on Zoom. Please get in touch with a board member for log in information.
Annual Meeting Agenda
Quorum check & approval of the minutes from the 2020 annual meeting.
Brief reports from the President, Treasurer, House Manager, and Membership Chairs.
Discussion of proposed 2021 Budget.
Election of Directors: Candidates must serve a two year term on the Board of Directors. Nominations may be made from the floor with the prior consent of the nominee.
Open discussion of any issues of interest or concern to Members.
President’s message
Members,
We had a fantastic Summer at the pool. Before the season started the Board had no idea what the season would actually look like, but it turned out better than any of us could have expected. We had good support from membership, at 261 paid memberships this past year. As always, we rely on word of mouth advertising and new families here to keep us moving forward so please spread
the word.
The Board would like to encourage more active member participation with committees made up of you, our dedicated membership. To start, we would like to have a maintenance committee, and a gardening / grounds committee. Please contact anyone on the board to volunteer for these.
As mentioned before, our main heater failed catastrophically. We are gathering multiple quotes, but it is going to be VERY expensive to replace. We have a current estimate for a 1 million BTU outdoor pool boiler from two potential companies: 1.) TLC Plumbing, LLC is ~$70K, and 2.) Big J&M Mechanical, LLC for ~$40K.
We also have to buy a new chemical controller,~$1200, and other miscellaneous maintenance
items such as re-plastering parts and deck concrete repair. I am also a bit concerned that the pool plumbing could be leaking under the pool, which could not be repaired and if confirmed, would mean closing forever. The Board is committed to keeping the pool going as long as we can, but we cannot do this alone and need new Board Members and committee members to help.
Jeremy Best
President, BMPA
House Chair Message
Adieu, Barranca Mesa Pool
Brigit and I came to Los Alamos in 1975 after 15 years in La Jolla in Southern California. There we
had been swimming in the Pacific Ocean for most of the year until the water temperature dropped below 70 degrees. Even in the middle of the August heat that water never got warmer than 75 degrees. When we came to Los Alamos and bought a house on Dos Brazos, we realized that there was a swimming pool nearby. It had been built by a group of enterprising citizens in 1968. I had barely become a member when the vice president who was also the house chairman cajoled me into building with him the three steps into the shallow end. Before I knew it I had become a board member as house chairman. Under his tutelage I learned everything about the mechanical and hydraulic functioning of the pool. To understand things better I created all the drawings that describe the the water cycle from the deep end through the filters in the wet pit, through the main pump in the dry pit and back through the furnaces.
Dave Clark had tried to build a water quality control system. Unfortunately without success. I discovered such a controller on the market and installed it. It determined the amount of acid and chlorine that had to be added to the water via two injector valves. It worked well and is still working. Brigit took over the pool chemistry, which had been a total disaster. People had no idea how to maintain the right chemistry and added chlorine and acid willy nilly.
Brigit also taught the guards to measure the pool chemistry and list it daily. This was extremely
important in case of a law suit by an unhappy member. To improve the looks of the pool we installed first cobalt blue vertical tiles along the periphery, and when it became a chore to keep the blue tiles clean we installed today’s tiles.
We placed thick mats under the dive boards and slide to prevent injury. Before, we had used the blue plastic squares until a girl fell down from the high dive board and luckily did not break her neck. We built a fence around the baby pool to control access.
What else? We tiled the showers, the change rooms and the hallway, so that they could be kept clean. We planted the pyracantha hedges around the fence and replaced the super heavy winter cover with a light weight mesh cover that could be more easily handled. We prepared task sheets for the spring and
all work parties to better organize them.
That’s enough about our involvement in the evolution of the pool. We can look back today over a proud accomplishment and turn the pool and our knowledge and experience over to the next generation.
Brigit and Jorg Jansen
Treasurer Chair message
The 2021 fiscal year ended on a positive note, aside from the heater replacement cost we have to plan for (estimated $50,000-$70,000). Please see the budget report for year end numbers. The goal is still to find a way to increase liquid assets to plan for future large expenses (such as replacing a heater and replastering the pool). Ideas are welcome; feel free to e-mail treasurer@barrancapool.com.
The yearly assessment will remain $500 for the 2022 season. This is the $455 base assessment
plus $45 work deposit. Please keep in mind that you can earn your work deposit back by participating in a work party or on one of the committees that need to be formed.
I have enjoyed working with the BMPA board, staff, and members over the past year and look forward to 2022 being even better.
~Jenn Best
Employment Chair message
BMPA had a fantastic season for employment! We had the best of the best at Barranca. Unknowing what our summer would look like due to covid, BMPA hired only guards and no basket roomers. The guards stepped up and took on extra duties and were working full time. We have awesome teens in this community!
Because of COVID and the lack of certifications being offered we were only able to hire 15 guards, many leaving for college before the season ended. I am hoping there are more options for certifications in the future so we can have more staff and the possibility of the pool being open longer.
Recruitment for Summer 2022 employees will begin November of 2021. Job applications will be posted on our website. Interviews will be conducted at the new year. Positions available are Manager, Head Guards, and lifeguards. Positions awarded will be determined by the interview, qualifications and if they have been previously employed by
BMPA. Those individuals seeking guard positions (age 15 and over) must complete and pass the Red Cross lifeguard training course by the time the pool opens in late May.
The employment application will be posted on our website. Completed applications can be emailed
to employment@barrancapool.com or mailed to
Employment Chair
P.O. Box 4
Los Alamos, NM 87544
Sincerely,
Amelia
Membership Chair message
COVID-19 hit the pool hard last year. However, in spite of that, memberships made a real comeback in
2021!
With that being said, we still have memberships available for 2022 so pass the word along to new neighbors, as well as your friends and family. We do not anticipate any additional increases to the membership fees for the 2022 season so it will be a good year to join the Barranca Pool family.
We look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces when it warms up again!
The assessment for 2022 is $500 and a new membership fee is a one-time “buy in” of an additional $500; one could also rent for $100 plus the annual assessment.
Both memberships and rentals can be done on our new BMPA website complete with online payment at https://www.barrancapool.com/
The membership forms can also be printed and mailed to Barranca Pool, PO Box 4, Los Alamos, NM 87544. If you have questions or need assistance of any kind, please email at Membership@barrancapool.com
We look forward to seeing our members in the Spring!
Sincerely, Nina Epperson
Treasurer Chair message
The 2021
Secretarial message
Thanks for receiving our fall e-newsletter! This action has been taken to reduce costs.
However, if you know someone who prefers a paper newsletter, they can be made available upon request.
Contact any board member to arrange receiving one.