Santa Clara has taken the next step in rebuilding its swim center.
At its most recent meeting, Dec. 9, the Santa Clara City Council approved an urgency ordinance to allow the contractor it selected for the minor rehab to do a full-scale rebuild. The council had previously approved replastering, allocating money to get the pool up and running as soon as possible following its closure at the beginning of 2024.
But the passage of Measure I, which funneled more than $400 million into the city’s infrastructure, changed the equation. The passing of the bond earmarked $49.5 million for rehabbing the city’s pools, including the George Haines International Swim Center (ISC).
“The aging infrastructure continues to have more and more apparent deficiencies, causing increasingly frequent and longer closures,” said Carolyn McDowell, senior management analyst with Parks and Recreation.
An agreement in April with Adams Pool Solutions aimed to get the pool up and running, but discoveries during the process revealed ISC infrastructure to be worse off than anticipated.
McDowell told the council that to save a roughly six-month bidding process, city employees recommended moving forward with the joint venture between Adams Pool Solutions and Mark Scott Construction.
Doing so, she said, would allow work to be done during the first phase that was anticipated for the second phase, saving money.
The city estimates the first phase of the project to cost $23.18 million. “Substantial” portions of the first phase are slated for completion in the summer of 2027. Phase two construction is estimated to take roughly 15 months and is set to begin in March 2027.
Members of a local union turned out during public comments to urge the council to reject the proposal, imploring the council to emphasize local union labor.
“I can say with the utmost confidence that union workers provide a safe job and provide an end product that voters, local swimmers and our community youth can be proud of,” said Brian Purs, business agent for UA Local 393.
However, the project’s contractors said the project will use union labor.
City Manager Jovan Grogan told the council that the staff recommendation was “very much in the spirit” of what the bond measure promised voters.
Local aquatics enthusiasts also turned out to support the council action.
“This project is not just about rebuilding the facility. It is about preserving a legacy, strengthening our aquatics community and ensuring that future generations have a place to learn, train and thrive,” said Amanda Pease, Santa Clara Aquatics Foundation.
Grogan said the second phase will be bid normally and will likely take upwards of four years.
While Council Member Karen Hardy said she felt the proposal was the best way to get the ISC open quickly, others disagreed.
Vice Mayor Kelly Cox called the lack of a competitive bid a “bad look” for Santa Clara.
“I do not feel like this process for bidding makes sense for me,” she said.
Mayor Lisa Gillmor supported the motion, saying ISC closure has been “devastating” as it is “part of the heart and soul of our community.”
The council supported the proposal to rebuild the ISC in a 6-1 vote, with Cox dissenting.
Special Event Zone at Levi’s for Super Bowl Moves Forward
The council also approved moving forward with a special event zone at Levi’s Stadium for the Super Bowl next year.
After the council pushed back on some details last month, city employees returned with an amended version of the special event zone.
Liz Klotz, assistant city manager, said the revised ordinance aimed to “clarify” and “simplify” the regulations for vending during the marquee event. While not intended to hinder local businesses, she said the goal is to crack down on illegal food vending and counterfeit merchandising in the interest of public safety.
The zone would be in effect between Feb. 1 and Feb. 10 and would take an “education first” approach, Klotz said.
Jennifer Byers, assistant city attorney, said enforcement of the ordinance is limited, but the city hopes people will follow the rules.
“From a practical perspective, the purpose of this ordinance is to message out to the community: these things are not allowed with the hope that the community is going to hear that and follow the intent of this ordinance of those rules and regulations that are in place,” she said.
While she supported it, Mayor Lisa Gillmor challenged whether the ordinance “has teeth” to prevent the sort of activity the city is trying to deter. The rules, she added, seem “punitive” to local vendors.
Public commenters supported the establishment of the special event zone.
Zaileen Janmohommad, with the Bay Area Host Committee, supported the zone, saying its goal is to protect the public and local businesses.
The council unanimously approved the uncodified ordinance, which the council will vote to put into effect at its next meeting.
Consent Calendar Spending
The council approved the following spending in one motion via the consent calendar:
- A $150,000 purchase order with Nor-Cal Overhead, Inc. for automatic overhead and rollup door maintenance, as-needed repair and replacement. The agreement allows the city manager to execute up to four one-year extensions for a total of $750,000.
- A 2.5-year, $29.8 million contract with Unisys Corporation for IT outsourcing.
- A five-year $3.2 million service agreement with the Northern California Power Agency and Palo Alto.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1500 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara.
Members of the public can participate in the City Council meetings on Zoom at https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/99706759306; Meeting ID: 997-0675-9306 or call 1 (669) 900-6833, via the City’s eComment (available during the meeting) or by email to PublicComment@santaclaraca.gov.
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
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“Vice Mayor Kelly Cox called the lack of a competitive bid a “bad look” for Santa Clara.”
It’s not a bad look. Adams Pool Solutions and Mark Scott Construction have already provided expert time and expense to evaluate the state of the ISC and scope the repair project. APS has unparalleled experience in this type of construction. The longer the city delays, the more the ISC deteriorates.
Remember, Cox was a college student and cocktail server when she ran for City Council in 2024. Thankfully, there are other members of the City Council with project management and budgeting experience.
Also remember Vice Mayor Cox was owner and operator of Fuego Fitness reminds me of Debi Davis days when she worked at Curves. Cox also was a operations manager for UFC Gym and a Starbucks store manager all local since 2002 and she always talks about Wyoming. One thing to note as her college student background is she was working at the Santa Clara University in 2019 as a Senior Administrative Assistant then moved to Administrative Associate two years later then the Director of Research and Finance then now the Assistant Dean in the School of Engineering. I thought she was an assistant to the dean at first, but it has changed maybe. All of this and she needs ChatGPT to help her. Sounds like the University is using her role and promoting her heavily. The clock is ticking if Kelly will step down in mid 2026 for a Gillmor council run.
*note: the above comment was not intended to be slight at Kelly Cox’s profession. Pursuing higher education and honest work should always be encouraged and supported.
Rather, the point is that the ISC has been debated for many years, with some of the current city council having previously opposed the rebuilding of it. Just eighteen months ago, Karen Hardy was the lone opposition to funding the ISC, referring to it as “fiscally irresponsible.” https://www.svvoice.com/city-shells-out-millions-to-reopen-swim-center-sets-discussion-on-grand-jury-report/
Five of the current city council have been present during many years of investigation, evaluation, presentation, and debate on the topic, Cox has not. Which was the intent of my initial comment. Given today’s circumstances and fact, moving forward with initial repairs to the ISC accomplished by already vetted, capable, and ready contractors is not a bad look.
It is disturbing to hear Mayor Gillmor talk about her work running the Measure I campaign—the same bond measure that Mayor Gillmor would have opposed if it was $200 million more. If everyone remembers, Gillmor and Watanabe, at the last minute, proposed a $400 million bond measure that undermined the city’s proposed $600 million bond. Gillmor held the City Council ransom and got her way because of the threats she and Watanabe were making about making sure the $600 million bond didn’t pass while they supported the $400 million version.
This, again, is the same bond measure that gives Gillmor’s bread-and-butter departments—Police and Fire—more funding. That move ensures Gillmor looks like the savior of the city when she created the crisis of not repairing the swim center sooner. In all her 30-plus years in power, Gillmor has not once proven a major accomplishment, and this swim center situation is a failure.