A Norman group dedicated to bringing an indoor aquatics center to the city will be hosting Parks and Recreation Director Jud Foster Monday during its annual meeting.

Foster will speak to the Pisces Project, a local group that has been working since 2005 to raise awareness about Norman's lack of a city-owned indoor aquatics center, at 7:30 p.m. in the Norman Public Library, 225 N. Webster Ave.

During his talk, Foster said he will give an overview of his department and its functions, as well a review of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

Included in the master plan is a list of recommendations from a consultant hired by the city. And on that list -- somewhere in the middle -- is an indoor aquatics center.

Foster said he expects some questions from the group about that.

Nancy Yoch, a spokeswoman for Pisces Project, said that compared with similarly sized cities, Norman lags behind when it comes to providing its citizens with quality aquatics options. She said some are even turned off by the lack of swimming facilities in Norman.

"Swimming is not just for recreation," Yoch said. "It's for fitness as well. It's good for those with asthma or diabetes and it's great for low-impact weight loss."

Yoch points to the success of the YMCA pool on the Max Westheimer Airport grounds, saying she believes the city could build a similar facility and see similar success.

"The YMCA's pool is filled to overfilling," she said. "There's a definitely a need there and there's definitely a shortage of facilities."

Yoch and Foster agree that a major hurdle to clear before an indoor facility is built is the issue of how to pay for its ongoing operational costs. Foster said most stand-alone indoor aquatics facilities cost their owners money to operate each year.

"The main concern with schools, cities and everybody isn't building an indoor facility -- it's running it," Yoch said. "The operating costs are always the biggest issue."

Yoch and Foster also agreed the city would have to combine the indoor pool with a recreation center-type of facility to help offset some of the costs associated with running a year-round aquatics center, just like the YMCA does.

Pisces Project has filed an exception to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and Yoch said she and her group will continue to make their presence known to the powers that be in the future.

"They have to keep hearing from people that it matters or it won't get done," Yoch said. "They (Parks and Recreation) at least know who we are now."

For more information about Pisces Project, visit at http://piscesproject.org.