Letter: Consider Galimore research

Dear Editor:

Last summer the City of St Augustine contracted me to research public attitudes regarding future use of the only community center and pool in the city, the Galimore.

The research team conducted interviews, focus groups, and fieldwork observations of commission meetings and groups using the center and another public pool.

We next administered over 400 surveys at five locations throughout the city (stratified probability sampling). That data was presented to the city last summer.

The third stage of the research has been the most time consuming. We administered surveys to everyone who receives a City water bill.

This resulted in 799 completed surveys. That data has been entered and analyzed.

Now the “Galimore Center and Pool Research Project” is completed, and the data and summary have been sent to the City of St Augustine Commissioners and should be placed on the agenda for next Monday, June 11.

The research is timely because at that same meeting, a local architect, who was hired by the City Manager, will present a business plan with suggestions on how to renovate the pool and operate the entire facility.

He may also suggest renovations or additions to the building that he feels should be done.

It will really help the community if these findings can be widely circulated.

Dr. Casey Welch
Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology
Flagler College Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences