MISSION VIEJO : City, Swim Team at Impasse Over Facility

City negotiators have reached an impasse with the Nadadores swim team about use of a city-owned swimming complex.

City staff will ask the City Council today to give it direction after the team and the city failed to reach agreement on a 10-year lease for use of the swim facility.

According to a city report, the two sides have reached a stalemate on whether the city should pay for maintaining the Olympic-size swimming and diving stadium--at a cost of about $2.65 million over 10 years.

The city’s proposal would allow the Nadadores to lease the complex for $1 per year and the swim team would become responsible for utility costs and pool maintenance expenses.

The lease would allow the team complete control of the pool complex for eight months out of the year.

The city would take over the pools for public swim programs during the four summer months.

But after extensive negotiations on April 12, representatives from the Nadadores said the team couldn’t afford to pay the $265,000 annual cost to run the stadium complex.

Operating an internationally competitive swim team costs about $500,000 annually, team officials have told the city.

City officials said the Nadadores proposal called for a 10-year agreement with cancellation options during years three and six.

The team would continue paying $1,200 monthly rent on the swim complex and the city would keep paying for pool maintenance and utilities.

Under the sponsorship of the Mission Viejo Co. for almost 20 years, the Nadadores operated an internationally recognized program out of the swimming complex.

However, with the developer scheduled to leave the city by 1995, the Mission Viejo Co. gave notice two years ago that it would drop its support of the team.

Along with three other recreation facilities, the swim complex was traded to the city for an office building. Last year, the city paid to subsidize pool expenses as the Nadadores used the complex.

With a final version of the 1994-95 budget being prepared, the council last month asked city staff to negotiate a 10-year lease arrangement with the Nadadores.