Cranford officials say pools unsustainable at current funding levels; planner engaged as residents urge alternatives

Mayor Terrence Curran said Cranford faces a shortfall in pool funding and has begun a formal planning process to decide how to provide recreation services going forward. "The money available to run the pools this year is less than the cost of running the pools last year," Curran said, and the township has engaged its planner to develop a comprehensive, townwide recreation plan that officials said will take several months and include public input.

The proposal from township officials grew out of several years of declining season memberships at the municipal pools and a temporary $1 million state payment received during COVID that officials said has been used as a recurring surplus and is now running out. Curran and other officials characterized the situation as a funding and usage problem rather than an immediate decision to close a facility: "This is a planning exercise that is gonna involve everybody in the township," Curran said.

Why it matters: Cranford operates two public outdoor pool complexes — Centennial Avenue and Orange Avenue — that residents and families use for lessons, camps and swim-team activities. Township officials said membership revenue funds most operating costs and that continued declines threaten the ability to maintain both sites and address required infrastructure repairs.

Officials' account of finances and next steps Township leaders described a persistent decline in membership that predates COVID. Officials reported membership counts in the thousands over the last decade; Mayor Curran said membership fell from roughly 11,700 in 2011 to about 5,000 last year. He told residents the township used a state COVID grant of roughly $1,000,000 as a recurring supplement to pool revenue, and that funding is nearly exhausted.

The township administrator told the committee the official debt ratio remains low, but that the pool operating budget for 2025 is smaller than the actual operating costs from 2024. The mayor said staff will present options for operating both pools with reduced hours or alternative configurations before the township's budget meeting on Feb. 22, and that the committee will continue the longer recreation-planning exercise with the planner to examine townwide needs.

Public comment: keep Centennial open, change hours, improve programming More than two dozen residents spoke during the public-comment period. Many asked the committee to keep both pools open; others urged the township to try scheduling and program changes before deciding to close a facility.

Resident Bridal Labruto urged later hours, saying, "6 p.m. is too early for working people," and argued that restoring later weekday hours could recover members who leave because of early closings. Multiple speakers asked the township to examine the community-pass website, expand programming aimed at families and working parents, and to use targeted marketing to new apartment residents.

Other frequent themes in public remarks included: - Nonresident usage: Officials said about 25% of pool members live outside Cranford, and speakers suggested prioritizing residents if capacity becomes constrained. - YMCA partnership and camp impacts: The YMCA currently runs programs at the indoor facility and operates summer camp activities at Centennial; officials said they had alerted the YMCA to possible changes so the organization could plan. - Parking and swim-lane capacity: Speakers worried that consolidating users into one pool would worsen parking and lane availability for lap swimmers and teams. - Grants and outside funding: Residents suggested pursuing state and federal grants; officials said some recreation grants exclude outdoor pools but that they will investigate specific opportunities that attendees raised.

Officials and advisory groups Township staff and volunteer advisory boards have evaluated options and presented financial slides at a recent workshop meeting. Commissioner Black and the pool advisory board were identified in the meeting as having worked on the topic for several years. Officials asked for resident participation in the planner-led process and for volunteers to help with targeted analyses such as hour-by-hour attendance and program demand.

Distinguishing decisions from discussion No vote to close or transfer a pool was taken at the meeting. The committee voted several routine agenda items by consent (minutes, bills, and resolutions) at the end of the session; those approved actions are listed below. On the pool question, officials described active study and directed staff to return with operational options and to carry out the planner-led townwide recreation assessment.

What residents can expect next Township leaders said they will publish the planner’s outreach schedule and a survey as part of the recreation assessment; they also said the director of recreation is preparing a short-term set of options for the Feb. 22 budget meeting that could keep both pools open with modified hours or other cost-mitigation measures. Mayor Curran said the planner’s work is expected to take roughly three months and will include public meetings.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes (workshop 01/13/2025, workshop 01/21/2025, official 01/21/2025): motion approved by roll call (Commissioner Black: yes; Commissioner Andrews: yes; Commissioner Miller Prunty: yes; Deputy Mayor Gallo: yes; Mayor Terrence Curran: yes). - Payment of bills: motion approved by roll call (same vote record). - Consent agenda resolutions 2025-115 through 2025-127: motion approved by roll call (same vote record).

Taper: Committee members and several residents said they want to keep working on solutions that preserve community recreation while addressing the township’s budget constraints. The committee repeatedly emphasized that no final decision has been made and invited residents to participate in the planner-led process and the Feb. 22 budget discussion.