Measures are now in place to attempt to make SARC, soon-to-be the Sequim Y, more energy efficient.
Clallam County Parks and Recreation District 1 commissioners approved a $273,151 grant on May 20 offered by the Washington State Department of Commerce to switch the pool’s air handler from a propane boiler to an electric heat pump to cut down on fossil fuel use.
Commissioners voted 4-1 in a special meeting inside the inactive Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center building with Jan Richardson opposed saying, “We’re giving public money to a private organization and I just can’t see it.”
Richardson also said that Clallam PUD officials came through the facility a few years ago for an energy assessment and found the conversion wouldn’t be a positive change.
However, Frank Pickering, chairman of SARC’s district, said under the grant’s contract, savings are guaranteed because if they don’t see a savings from the conversion, then the contractor would pay the difference.
Park district officials say the savings would be upwards of $60,000 annually after converting.
Parks district vice chairman Sherry Nagel said, “It makes sense because (the heat pumps are) being installed at the same time as the air handler.”
Fellow Commissioner Bill Jeffers expressed concern about potential conflicts with accepting this new grant and the $731,705 grant awarded from the county’s Opportunity Fund to replace the air handler, but Pickering said he’s spoken with county officials and they gave their congratulations.
Nagel said county officials were aware of the commerce grant possibility and that the heat pumps are an add-on piece of equipment to the existing grant to replace the air handler.
State energy engineer Lisa Steel, who oversees Abacus Resource Management to replace the air handler, previously said she anticipates construction to begin the third week of June and continue through July or August.
Pickering said parks district commissioners will need to hold another special meeting to approve and sign the contract with the Department of Commerce.
Olympic Peninsula YMCA officials tentatively target opening the Sequim Y in mid-September.
The facility has been closed since last October and SARC board commissioners agreed to replace the aging air handler in preparation for the YMCA to lease the facility.
