CARLA METCALF, Pasco

I've been following the discussion regarding an aquatics center, where it will be and who will pay for it.

We moved to the Tri-Cities from Asotin County. Years ago, Asotin County voters approved a ballot measure for a new pool. The county commissioners appointed a committee to give them a recommendation on where it should be and what it would look like, but that recommendation was rejected.

Commissioners built an aquatic center/water park and made too many mistakes to list here. It will never pay for itself. The county voted in a small sales tax to keep the facility open, and the commissioners made a verbal agreement with the city of Clarkston to use Clarkston's portion of that tax.

Clarkston decided to keep its portion. The county took money from another account to keep the center open this year but has no idea how to keep it open in the future. It's a mess.

My recommendation to anyone building a facility like that in the Tri-Cities would be to get in touch with Asotin County to learn from their mistakes. Don Brown would be a contact person.