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Park superintendent reports $125,000 pool season revenue, warns of recurring chemical costs for splash pad
Summary
Park superintendent Ashley Cox told the Sherman Park Board Aug. 12 that pool revenue for the season was about $125,000, the park switched to a liquid chlorine system this year, and splash pad acid orders are costing about $439 each and may be needed weekly to maintain extended hours through Labor Day.
Ashley Cox, the park superintendent confirmed by the board during the meeting, told the Sherman Park Board on Aug. 12 that the pool brought in about $125,000 this season while the park is seeing higher recurring chemical costs tied to extended splash-pad hours.
Cox said the park switched to a liquid chlorine system this year and that liquid chlorine “loses its potency over time,” so suppliers cannot pre-deliver large quantities. She said the system was adopted late in the season, which contributed to higher usage while staff adjusted programming.
Cox told the board that each order of the acid used for the splash pad cost $439 and that, with the decision to keep the splash pad open longer through Labor Day, the park has been placing orders about once per week to maintain chemistry. She also explained that the splash pad operates using the pool pumps rather than being fed by only metered tap water, which increases water- and pump-related costs.
Cox said the pool season’s gross receipts for the year were about $125,000 and that higher attendance also produced higher operating costs, including food-service purchases from the vendor GFS. She said complaints were down this season and staff performed substantial maintenance and volunteer-driven projects such as picnic-table rebuilding and graffiti removal.
On the chlorine system, Cox said the liquid overall is “a little bit less expensive than the tablets” but acknowledged the park used more chemicals earlier in the season while staff calibrated the new system. She said she would review total seasonal chemical expenditures and report back to the board.
No formal budget amendment or appropriation was recorded at the meeting specifically to cover the chemical costs; Cox said the park will proceed for this year but suggested planning for the higher weekly acid orders if extended hours continue in future seasons.
