Watertown City Council discusses proposed $3 pool fees

Yahoo

13-05-2025

May 13—WATERTOWN — If you take a dip in a city pool this summer, expect to pay a $3 fee.
The majority of City Council supports a $3 daily pool fee that's proposed in the city's 2025-26 budget.
Council members discussed the pool fee during a budget session on Tuesday afternoon.
Council members Robert O. Kimball, Benjamin P. Shoen and Mayor Sarah V.C. Pierce plan to keep the pool fees in the financial plan that carries an 18.8% proposed tax rate increase.
"A small fee is appropriate," Kimball said, although he is concerned that some people won't be able to pay the fee.
Other communities charge pool users a fee, Shoen said, adding that he thinks "99.9%" of all residents can pony up for the small fee to swim in the city's two pools.
"I haven't made up my mind yet," Councilwoman Lisa A. Ruggiero said, adding that she's heard complaints from residents, especially from those who live on the city's north side, about the fees.
She's also worried that it might lower pool attendance. During a rainy summer last season, the two pools were busy with about 21,000 people using them.
Councilman Cliff G. Olney III wondered whether the pool fees were proposed as a way to end the city's costly summer pool program. He accused the mayor of coming up with the proposal to dissuade people from using them.
In a heated exchange, Pierce took exception to the comments, clarifying that city staff came up with the idea. She said she had nothing to do with proposing the fees.
Last year, Pierce backed shuttering the city's third pool, the Alteri pool at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds, saving the city about $200,000.
The proposed fees are projected to generate about $60,000 in revenues.
The revenues would offset the expenses to hire lifeguards and for operations of the two pools. City officials have said that the summer pool program is expensive to run for just a couple of months a year.
The proposed budget to operate two pools is $441,360, which is in line with the current budget of $431,904, Comptroller James E. Mills said. The estimated cost per pool will be approximately $220,000 this summer.
Two summers ago, the city charged $3 a day for non-city residents, but this new $3 fee would be for city residents and non-city residents wanting to swim in either the Thompson Park Pool or the William J. Flynn Pool at North Elementary School.
Besides the $3 daily fee for an individual, the group rate would be $2; a $25 fee for an individual for the entire season; $100 for the season for a family of four and another $20 for each person.
Depending on the weather, the Thompson Park pool might open for the Memorial Day weekend. The two pools will employ between 40 and 45 lifeguards this season.
During Tuesday's budget session, council members also discussed the financial situation of the Thompson Park Golf Course. The city lost money after purchasing the golf course from Michael E. Lundy for $3.4 million in 2023.
If the facility continues to be in the red, Kimball would be in favor of closing it, even though he has signed up to be a member this summer.
He plans to support what he thinks are "the most important" items in the spending plan, Kimball said.
The golf course "is not in the top two or three," he added.
City Manager Eric F. Wagenaar told council members that city staff plans to present "some options," including leasing it to a third party, for next year.
Council members also spent less than 15 minutes discussing the city's water budget before adjourning for the afternoon.
Under the proposed budget, total spending would increase from $57.8 million to $59.11 million, or a 2.73% increase. The 18.8% tax rate increase would mean the current $9.4076 per $1,000 of assessed valuation would go to $11.178. Taxes on a home assessed at $200,000 would increase by $354, from $1,881.52 to $2,235.60.
So far, council members have discussed reducing the spending plan by about 4%.
Council members will meet for the last budget session at 6 p.m. Tuesday.