Fergus Falls council approves 2025 Aquatic Center admission rates, asks parks board to pursue sponsorships

The Fergus Falls City Council on March 1 adopted a resolution setting 2025 admission rates for the new Fergus Falls Aquatic Center and asked staff and the parks board to examine advertising, sponsorship and naming-rights opportunities to help offset the city subsidy.

The rates approved follow the parks board recommendation and range from free admission for children ages 0–3 with a paid adult to a $10 single admission for ages 10 and older. Council discussion emphasized making the center affordable in its first year while acknowledging the facility will be subsidized. “We’re planning to open June 2, and we are on track for that,” Bill Somwell, the city’s chief financial officer and director, said. Somwell also described staffing and certification plans for lifeguards ahead of the opening.

The council adopted the fee schedule after hearing details from staff and questions from council members about usage, budgeting and revenue assumptions. The adopted daily-rate structure discussed at the meeting included: 0–3 with a paid adult — free; ages 4–6 with a paid adult — $5; ages 7–9 — $8; ages 10 and older — $10; seniors with a paid child — $8 and seniors alone — $10. The fee schedule also includes a 10-punch card option with a reduced rate and a carryover policy for unused punches.

In questions about operations, staff said capacity for the pool deck is roughly 300 people and that the planned season would run roughly 70–90 days, with a tentative June 2 opening and a mid-August wind-down tied to school schedules. Somwell said the 2025 expense budget for the facility is unchanged from what was included in the 2025 budget and noted early attendance and revenue projections were used in planning.

Council members raised concerns about how the rates compare to the budgeted subsidy and whether the adopted rates are higher than the budget assumptions. “These rates are slightly higher than what that budget was built upon,” Somwell said during discussion, noting the city had budgeted a subsidy for the first year. Council members suggested treating the 2025 fees as introductory and reassessing in later years once attendance and actual revenue are known.

On the question of sponsorship and naming rights, council members asked staff to examine options. Recreation coordinator Pam Muxfelt confirmed the facility includes a designated area for food trucks and a city-run concession stand. The council asked staff to research contracting, legal and fundraising limits and to return with recommendations. Somwell cautioned the council about statutory limits on municipal fundraising, noting Minnesota rules limit what municipalities can solicit directly and recommending further legal review before any fundraising program is launched.

The council approved publication of the rates so they could be included in the parks and recreation brochure and additionally voted to direct the parks board and staff to investigate advertising, sponsorship and naming-rights policies and possible revenue scenarios.

The council did not change the staffing plan; Somwell said the city has hired a manager, senior lifeguards and lifeguards and is coordinating certification classes with the YMCA and Community Education in March–May so seasonal staff can be ready by opening.

Going forward, council members said they want more detailed expense and revenue tracking during the inaugural season and asked staff to report back with attendance, revenue and any proposed adjustments to fees or operations.