To: City of Menlo Park City Council Feb 13th, 2023.
From: Rafael de la Vega
1755 Oak Ave.
Menlo Park Resident since 2008.
Dear City Council Members,
I am writing to provide input and strongly recommend the selection and continuation of the current company, Tim Sheeper, INC as the aquatic operator for both sites.
Our family has been a user of both the Burgess and Belle Haven pools and has observed firsthand the love, care, inclusion, and warmth that Tim and all the Staff bring to the pool every day. They love swimming and they love people. It is no secret that Burgess pool is the best-managed public pool on the Peninsula.
On top of the thorough response to the RFP, I’d like to share additional things that stand out for me about Tim’s ability to successfully continue to operate the swimming pool:
- Staff training: Safety first is a key principle for Tim. During a swim meet in 2019, I witnessed how a swimmer fainted after finishing her race and sank to the bottom of the pool. Within seconds, two of the lifeguards and one of the swim instructors jumped in to help her out and provided CPR and first-aid, saving her life.
- Inclusion and readiness to accommodate every citizen: There is always someone willing to help our senior citizens, new to-swimming citizens and people of any background. As a Hispanic, I have always felt welcomed, respected and treated the same way that anyone else.
- Availability and Adaptability to meet Citizens and City’s needs: Burguess Pool ( and later Rinconada, also managed by Sheeper) were the only pools during the Pandemic in the surrounding Cities and Municipalities. This provided a critical service to the communitys mental and physical well-being.
- Over 90% of the hours and pool space is available for Open and Lap swimming, with a significant additional portion to aquafit and wellness programs. The pool schedule and programs are constantly evolving to accommodate emerging needs
- Tim’s love of swimming and community: Tim has personally been instrumental in supporting the most vulnerable in our communities by starting a key Foundation: Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation – dedicated to providing swim lessons scholarships to underserved members of our community.
- Community impact beyond the pool: My daughters learned how to swim at Burgess and went on to join the swim team. They also got their first job as lifeguards and swim instructors there. The values of inclusion, servant leadership, and community development have allowed them to contribute and give back to the Menlo Park community in many ways.
- Tenure of Staff: Tim’s love of people applies to his staff with most of them having worked in the company for more than 8 years. This allows the staff to understand and cater to all members of the community.
I think that the massive disruption to the current programs, hours of operation, and community programs of changing providers should carry a lot of weight. The impact of the Pandemic is still being felt and people are just coming back to the pool and getting comfortable with social interaction, this is reflected in many different ways across the community and think there is no need to affect those of us that use the pool anymore.
Thank you for your attention and consideration.
Rafael de la Vega
