King County will turn Evergreen Pool in White Center over to Northwest Center next summer.

Steve Chavey, King County Parks aquatic supervisor, said the transfer will come around July l.

The move is being made as the county attempts to cut county services in urban areas. It is also pushing the North Highline to incorporate or annex to Burien or Seattle.

The change is expected to save the county an estimated $840,000 a year.

Northwest Center, a nonprofit agency serves mentally and physically disabled clients, runs pools in North Bend, Northshore, Redmond and Mercer Island.

"Patrons won't see changes in faces or programs at Evergreen," Chavey said, but changes in managers may be more likely.

Chavey said Evergreen and Renton are the last of the pools the county plans to shed.

Pools in cities that were interested in taking them over were the first to be transferred with more pools divested about four years ago when the county faced a budget crisis.

Chavey said the county plans to keep the Aquatic Center in Federal Way, which is a regional facility, and two outdoor pools in rural areas.

With Northwest Center operating the Evergreen Pool, the pressure to take on the cost of the pools may be off Burien or Seattle if either later annexes North Highline, said Chavey, because the group receives funding from several sources.

Eric Mathison can be reached at hteditor@robinsonnews.com or 444-4873.