El Segundo council hears 50% update on aquatics business plan; parents, coaches press for earlier pool times

Consultants and staff presented a 50% progress update on a business plan for the City of El Segundo aquatics program on July 1, and multiple parents and club coaches urged the council to preserve earlier pool times for youth water polo.

The consultant, Miklos Valdez, said the presentation was an interim review and that “all of these numbers will change before the end of the project,” asking the council for feedback on direction and data needs. The plan models three operating concepts — Current, Enhanced and Elevate — and will further examine fee schedules, staffing and lane allocation in later drafts.

Why it matters: The city operates three aquatic facilities — Hilltop, the El Segundo Aquatic Center (ESAC) and the Plunge — and councilmembers asked staff to reconcile competing goals: increase cost recovery for ESAC while keeping the Plunge affordable for recreational swim and learn-to-swim programming. Those policy choices will determine lane allocation and fee recommendations the consultant is developing.

Public comments opened the discussion. Meredith Kittner, a parent, and her daughter Sydney, who plays for South Bay United Water Polo, said late evening practices cause sleep and travel problems for young athletes. Eight-year-old Sydney said, “I don't think that it's fair that we have to do a 2 hour long practice that starts late,” and described nights when practice ends near 9 p.m., pushing bedtime past 10 p.m. Other youth speakers, including 12‑year‑old Kyla Morgan, described difficulty fitting homework and sleep around late practices.

Coaches echoed that concern. Alex Heck, coach and longtime South Bay United volunteer, asked the council for “a 2 hour deep water slot immediately following El Segundo High's practices on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,” proposing a swap with a swim team to create earlier deep-water time for youth players. Kurt Frey, who runs the club, said late slots make it difficult to recruit and retain younger players.

Consultant findings presented to the council included preliminary market and fee analysis and three operational models. Key figures noted in the presentation: Hilltop currently recovers about 16% of its operational costs; ESAC modeling shows cost recovery rising toward the council’s earlier guidance (the consultant said ESAC could approach the 90% range in some models); user groups currently cover roughly 21% of the estimated $84 per lane‑per‑hour operating cost, rising to about 36% under the Enhanced model and about 50% under the Elevate model. The consultant proposed swim lesson fee increases (50% in Enhanced and 100% in Elevate) and higher advertising budgets per attendee (from about $0.08 now to $0.50–$1.00 in modeled options).

Staff and council questions focused on data, assumptions and policy direction. Director Allie Mancini and consultant Valdez confirmed the presentation is an interim (50%) product and that staffing, expense efficiencies and lane‑allocation scenarios will be developed in the next round. Mancini raised potential cost‑saving ideas to study, such as changing lifeguard deployment models during user‑group practices (noting legal and liability consults would be required) and clarifying the existing agreement with El Segundo Unified School District for school use and equipment contributions.

Council members pressed for clearer comparators and demand assumptions. Councilmember Drew said the consultant’s municipal fee comparisons should focus on nearby South Bay providers (MiraCosta, Redondo, Torrance and Hawthorne), not broadly on Los Angeles County. Several councilmembers asked the consultant and staff to return with: a) a lane‑allocation model tied to a clear policy choice on subsidized recreational use versus club rental; b) market‑based pro formas for likely attendance and revenue (including expected impact of the Plunge opening); and c) an analysis of what steps would be required to reach targeted cost‑recovery levels.

Council discussion produced a policy direction rather than a formal vote: members repeatedly framed ESAC as the location to pursue higher cost recovery and the Plunge as the facility to prioritize subsidized recreational learn‑to‑swim access, but several councilmembers said they want concrete financial analyses and operational options that show what would be required to meet specific recovery targets. The consultant said he will return with lane‑allocation proposals and refined models in the next round. Council consensus was recorded to receive and file the 50% business‑plan update and for staff/consultant to continue developing the models and requested comparators.

Ending: The consultant and staff will incorporate council direction — including revised peer comparisons, lane‑allocation options, attendance and pro‑forma revenue assumptions, and expense‑efficiency opportunities — and present a subsequent draft for further council guidance.