Mary Elizabeth Oak, a Milford resident, told the Board of Aldermen that a proposed five-year license being negotiated for the municipal swimming pool will substantially reduce the Aqua Jets nonprofit swim program’s access. Oak said negotiations began in June 2024 and that if an agreement is signed “tomorrow” the Aqua Jets’ weekly adult swim slots would fall from 13 to four, with most remaining slots only early mornings Monday, Wednesday and Friday and limited Sunday hours.

Oak said the Aqua Jets, which she described as a local nonprofit that “have supported the community for some 37 years,” used revenue from daytime and evening slots to keep program fees low for local families. “Now, if this contract is signed tomorrow, it’s down to 4 slots. That is almost 3 quarters of the amount subtracted from their revenue,” she said. She added that older adult swimmers who use midday hours would be excluded by the proposed schedule.

Oak named Recreation Director Bill Garfield, Recreation Supervisor Ken Cateno, City Attorney Jonathan Beechman, the mayor and Rapids coach Chuck Clark as participants in the negotiation and said she had attended a December 27 walkthrough but had not seen a signed contract. She urged the aldermen to resolve the matter before pool access changes took effect.

The statement during public comment is the only record in the meeting transcript of the Aqua Jets–Rapids licensing dispute. No alderman or mayoral response or a motion about the pool license appears in the transcript.