Council directs RPAC to study citywide aquatics and recreation needs

The Concord City Council asked the Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee (RPAC) to undertake a comprehensive review of the city’s aquatics and broader recreational offerings, including pool locations, usage, programming, staffing and pay practices. Mister Gill, representing RPAC, said the committee had identified nine comparable New Hampshire communities for benchmarking and sought council guidance on priorities. Councilors asked RPAC to analyze pool visits per capita, lifeguard pay and staffing trends, adult‑only and lap swim programs, the role of splash pads versus pools, and the geographic distribution of facilities. Councilors stressed different priorities: Councilor Brown noted 40,000 pool visits over a 59‑day staffed season across Concord’s pools and splash pad, arguing that high utilization warrants careful consideration before any closures. Councilor Schultz and others urged RPAC to examine lifeguard pay and whether compensation differences in peer cities reduce staffing shortages. Councilor Kurtz asked for usage breakdowns by program type (lap swim, lessons, water aerobics) and demographic cohorts. Several councilors asked RPAC to include long‑range population and neighborhood growth data and to revisit past discussions about the feasibility of a central indoor aquatics facility at Memorial Field. RPAC was asked to return with recommendations and data to inform decisions on whether to keep, replace or reconfigure existing pools, add splash pads, or adjust programming and staffing policies.