POLSON — “The question is, are we going to start this thing in 2011?” Mission Valley Aquatics chairman Hu Beaver asked fellow board of director members at Monday night’s monthly meeting in Polson.

The answer was a unanimous “yes” when all seven members, none opposed, voted to break ground on phase I of the community indoor aquatic center on June 1, 2011, funding permitting. Architect Design Group and Swank Enterprises have provided plans for an indoor aquatic facility that can be built for $3 million. The project currently has $2.8 million and will require donations or pledge commitments for the additional $200,000 by the end of this year.

The room of nearly fifty community members in attendance erupted in applause following the decision and a roughly hour-long question and answer session where the board was drilled on everything from their choice of contractor to access, water temperature and the pursuit of alternative funding opportunities and private grants.

“I think your idea of let’s move forward is a good one,” Polson resident Chuck Aker said. “Once people see that you’ve started to dig a hole, the donations will come in.”

That sentiment was mirrored by several other community members and Beaver, who said the campaign has already raised more money in the last month since word spread that a decision to build could soon be made.

“Once you start a program like this, I think the momentum will carry it forward,” Polson resident Paul London said. “We’re excited for it, our community needs it.”

The new 18,187 square foot phase I floorplan has been scaled down slightly from the original three-pool design. The initial phase features the main multi-purpose pool, locker rooms, and a lobby area. By pushing back the construction of the warm water therapy and water slide/shallow entry activity pools, MVA was able to cut costs to a manageable starting point.

“We’re not done fundraising, we just felt that as a board, we needed to get this thing going,” finance committee chairman Marc Vergeront said.

The eight-lane multi-purpose pool will have water temperatures in the 82-85 degree range, allowing for comfortable usage for a wide range of activities. Lap swimmers usually prefer water around 79-82 degrees, while a therapy pool is typically above 85 degrees.

“This pool will serve everybody’s needs,” project director Tana Seeley said. “It’s the main, multi-purpose pool of the complex that can do everything from lap swimming, diving and water polo to water aerobics and swimming lessons.”

One community member questioned the decision to move the building of the warm water therapy pool into phase II, as this, she said, is an older community.

“The therapy pool is our No. 1 priority with the next phase,” Vergeront said. “It is our main focus without a doubt and if we get funding for it in the next six months, then we’ll get that started right away.”

Therapy professional Melinda Leas added that it’s not necessary to have a therapy pool to do therapy work.

“It’s just about getting people off their joints into that weightless environment so they can exercise,” she said.

The one thing that the new design will limit, however, is programming, Seeley said. The more sections, the more programming you can have, especially during the busy times of the day.

“The shallow entry and water slide pool, that’s an expensive part to add,” Seeley said, citing higher insurance rates and the large surface area as two costly factors. “It will help bring in revenue, and it’s fun, but this is our priority right now and this pool will serve everybody.”

Now that the decision to move forward is official, Beaver said there is much work to do and raising funds is still a top concern.

“We can raise, as a community, enough to build this facility for ourselves,” board member Co Carew said. “What we need to do now is just ask. We are asking you to ask.”

Pledges to MVA can be made on the website http://www.mvaquatics.org or by downloading a pledge form online and mailing it in. It’s important to note that a pledge does not need to be paid in full right away, but it will still count toward any loans or grants that require a certain percentage of the total funds to be accounted for before any additional monies can be awarded. Even though the wheels are in motion, MVA hasn’t given up on its original goal of building a $7.4 million facility.

“We hope that committing to a firm construction date will revitalize the fundraising campaign. That’s still our ultimate goal and we’d love to get there,” Seeley said. “Everyone’s financial support will be crucial in the next two to six months. There are only about 100 donors listed on the site. There should be more. Now is the time to get involved.”