Recreational (Aquatics) Services and Operations at Harvey West Pool

The City of Santa Cruz (“City”) invites qualified individuals or organizations to submit a proposal to enter into an agreement to operate, provide recreational services, and manage the Harvey West Pool located on the campus of Harvey West Park at 275 Harvey West Blvd in Santa Cruz. The submissions should reflect the operator's ability to:

(1) establish consistent financial stability and sustainability for aquatics programs and pool operations, while minimizing the level of financial support required by the City; and to

(2) provide affordable swim lessons that are accessible to a wide swath of the community regardless of age or ability-to-pay; and to

(4) provide some (minor) maintenance of pool facilities, including the pool house, storage rooms, lockers, and pool equipment spaces; maintain current certifications in proper pool maintenance, operations, and lifesaving procedures.

The City of Santa Cruz was incorporated in 1866 and formed its current charter in 1948. It is governed under a Council/Manager form of government. A Mayor and six Council members set policy for the City and a City Manager serves as chief administrator of those policies. The City is located on the coast, 75 miles south of San Francisco on the northern edge of the Monterey Bay. It encompasses 15.8 square miles with cultural and ethnic diversity among its population of 65,000. Santa Cruz is part of the National Marine Sanctuary and is a popular tourist destination owing to its beaches, surf culture, and historical landmarks.

The City provides a full range of municipal services and facilities including a recreational wharf, public golf course, a community center, a public auditorium, over thirteen hundred acres of open space, full beach services, refuse management, law enforcement, fire protection, and water and wastewater utilities. The City is also host to University of California at Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Harbor, and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park.

Harvey West Pool was constructed in 1959, through direct donations of land and money, to benefit the residents of the City of Santa Cruz. The pool served as the primary public aquatics facility for the greater Santa Cruz area until the completion of the Simpkins Swim Center in the late 1990s. Harvey West Pool is part of the greater Harvey West Park complex, which features multiple sports ball fields, community picnic areas, a clubhouse, a pump track, and hosts the city's seasonal summer camps program, as well as adult sports leagues.