Lenexa Primary Candidate Answers on Ad Astra

Recently, we asked the candidates running for the City Council who have primaries their stances on Ad Astra Pool. Here are the answers we received:

WARD 3

Corey Hunt (incumbent)
I support the decision to maintain the Ad Astra site as a pool. The Council voted unanimously (7-0) for an alternate option than was not originally presented by the aquatic study. Although absent from the vote for business travel, I too would have voted with my colleagues supporting the alternate option. I believe Ad Astra will remain open, as is, until the reinvestment in Indian Trails pool is complete (barring any catastrophic issues with the pool). I also believe we are most likely two or three pool seasons away from completing the Indian Trails pool expansion. There is still much work to be done before getting to a point where we know what the plan for Ad Astra looks like. Primarily, we need to continue having conversations with residents regarding pool needs and desires. You may already be aware, residents surveyed on this topic this year resulted in a wide-range of needs/desires with no clear majority informing the study.

One thing that is very clear to me from speaking with residents, our city pools create and provide community and is one of the reasons for our vibrant neighborhoods. Vibrant neighborhoods are a priority for me! I am committed to maintaining the kind of community Lenexans have come to enjoy and expect, my voting record proves this – in fact, I am your only choice with a proven voting record. I have voted time and again for projects that maintain or improve the quality of life for Ward 3 residents and Lenexans at large i.e., Complete Streets, Community Center renovation, Traffic Signal at 79th & Renner, and Multi-use Trail connectivity to name a few.

Going forward this Fall there will be open meeting(s) regarding our Capital Improvement Program (CIP). These meetings (open to the public) will be important and will inform how and when changes to Ad Astra could take place. Capital Improvement projects are those big city projects that require large-scale capital spending to complete. There are currently more than (30) capital improvement projects over a four-year rolling period, prioritized by the city council. These CIP projects range from building the new Lenexa Justice Center and reinvesting in the Community Center to streetlight replacement and the purchasing of new Fire Fighting Apparatus (Fire Truck). Our current CIP includes improvements to Flat Rock pool as well.

If attending a council meeting or a CIP meeting interests you regarding our discussions around Ad Astra, please contact me I will be happy to have you as my guest which will come with a complete tour of your Civic Campus. Meetings are typically on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm. You do not need to be a guest to attend these meetings. Being a resident of Lenexa gets you right in the door!

Melanie Arroyo
"Ward 3 is home to Ad Astra Pool, which the Lenexa City Council recently voted to keep open. I support this decision, and will continue to advocate for the funding necessary to expand, renovate & upgrade not only Ad Astra Pool, but all of the city's aquatic facilities. Public pools are a vital component of our city's high quality of life, as well as an equity issue. If anything, we should be building more public pools, not closing them down. I stand with the Ward 3 residents who have actively organized to save Ad Astra and thank them for their efforts. I was disappointed to see that my incumbent Councilman did not represent the wishes of his constituents and went out on record stating he would not vote in favor of keeping the Ad Astra Pool open."

Note, we did NOT receive responses from Laura Hill or Gael Wheeler.

WARD 4

Hophine Bwosinde
Ad Astra and the other neighborhood pools are vital components in each of their neighborhoods. It is important that these community gathering places are supported & maintained. Lenexa is doing many great new things. It is our responsibility to also do great things for our existing pools & parks and other places that support families and make Lenexa an amazing place to live. It is vital that neighborhoods are supported, that kids have healthy places to go during the summer and all year long to be together, learn new things, and develop healthy lifestyles. For many kids, the pools are a summer lifeline. They often have to walk to the pools. We must ensure all our neighborhoods benefit from great amenities.

Craig Denny
I support the decision of the city council to improve facilities at Sar-Ko-Par Trails and Ad Astra Pool sites. I have been on Lenexa’s Parks and Recreation Board for more than 25 years, during which time, Lenexa improved Sar-Ko-Par (1998) and Flat Rock Creek (2012) pools. I am well aware of issues related to the Ad Astra pool. The City Council and Park Board members recently toured aquatic facilities in neighboring communities. As I have done for years on the Park Board, I will listen to staff recommendations and resident’s expectations for our pools and parks.

Scott Callaway
My earliest experience with Ad Astra Pool was volunteering for the Lenexa Tails On the Trails, now called Paws In The Pool. It is wonderful that Lenexa has a large Zero Entry pool which was perfect for letting our furry friends end the hot summer season with a safe day in the water. Now, my wife and I have had two children and Ad Astra is one of the pools we sometimes frequent. Our youngest also takes swimming lessons at the Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, Indian Trails Acquatic Center. We are so fortunate to have wonderful community pools in Lenexa. My understanding is June 8th, 2021, Consultants for Lenexa's outdoor aquatics study (Shawnee Mission Post June 9th, 2021) recommended the city provide improvements to the Indian Trails Aquatic Center, and someday close Ad Astra Pool permanently. The solutions provided in summary include replacing older community pools such as Ad Astra Pool with city splash pads, improving Indian Trails Aquatic Center, and eventually providing additional aquatic resources in the Western portion of Lenexa which has experienced population growth at a more rapid rate the last few years. However suggesting that outdoor pools are aging and in need of attention, doesn't translate well that the pools should be closed permanently and that that's the best option for Lenexa and the local community. While I am in favor of fiscal responsibility and making good decisions regarding spending tax dollars, I'm not convinced it's the best thing for these communities to lose their neighborhood pools. I would be in favor of improving the existing facilities with structural updates and adding attractions such as pool rock walls, innovative slides, and other ammenities to improve attendance. We could also be looking into upgrading the existing pool facilities for multi-use functions such as swim team practices, life guard in-service training, and fund raising events such as water polo matches. There could be other savings solutions that the Consultants didn't see as part of their mission in providing their cost savings analysis that we could also explore. Families appreciate having a community pool they can walk to with their children, and those experiences make for good life long memories, and that's a large part of why people choose to raise their families in Lenexa, Kansas. People continue to lose sight of why Lenexa is a 1st class city that is growing in population, and I believe it's attributed to the reputation Lenexa has for being a safe, prosperous community, one that's very family friendly, and we should endeavor not to lose sight of this when making policy decisions that impact our residents.