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Administrator Baird clarified that he, not the Recreation Director Cliff Crawford, had made the decision to close the pool for part of the year. He pointed out that Brevard and St. Lucie Counties leave their pools open only during the summer months, and he did not feel it was unusual to close them during the winter months. He said that during the off-season there were about eight people a day visiting the pool, costing the County $84,000, about $138.00 per visit. Commissioner Flescher, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, felt that the numbers were incorrect and believed the attendance would have been higher if the pool had been heated. Administrator Baird disclosed that the North County pool is different from the Gifford pool because it is regulation size, it can host regional swimming events, and it gets more use than the Gifford pool. He indicated that if the Board wanted to open the Gifford pool for eight months, even though the millage had been set, he could reduce the Contingency in MSTU. Budget Director Jason Brown clarified that prior to this year there had only been one Recreation Department budget, not separate budgets for the Gifford Pool, North County Pool, or Ocean Rescue. Due to requests from the Taxpayer's Association and various residents, separating them was just accomplished this year. He said that staff divided the budget and had to guesstimate allocations from the prior year's budget. He acknowledged that adjustments had to be made due to over/under allocations, and he believed that since there is now a history, future numbers will be more accurate. Pastor Burson told the Board how Children's Services and his church had provided the necessary funds to start the Hope Academy. He listed the services and benefits that the Academy provides to its students, and voiced concerns over the loss of funds. SEPTEMBER 10, 2008 5