Commission recommends draft aquatic center operations plan; reviews glass‑block mock‑up and funding update

The Carbondale Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed and recommended by motion a draft operations and fee plan for the town’s new aquatic center at its Aug. 13 meeting. Staff presented season timing, staffing levels, pay targets, programming and preliminary operating cost projections.

Assistant staff and project finance updates Recreation staff proposed a 20‑week primary season (roughly May 16–Sept. 27) with weekday hours near 7 a.m.–7 p.m., and longer weekend hours. The draft projects about 81 open hours per week during the core season and assumes a lifeguard presence of about five guards on duty at peak times. Key staffing and pay choices presented included a baseline lifeguard wage projected near $18 per hour and an assistant/lead position in the mid‑$20s per hour to reduce single‑person burnout and extend managerial coverage.

Board action on the draft Commissioners moved to recommend the operations draft (staff described it as a working draft to guide the 2026 budget process); the motion was seconded and the commission approved the draft during the meeting so staff can fold it into budget development and return with final numbers. The commission asked staff to confirm FLSA/benefits thresholds (26-week/part‑time season limits were discussed in the meeting) as staffing plans are finalized.

Funding and revenue assumptions - Staff reported ‘‘donations secured’’ of $913,796 and a total fundraising figure stated in the presentation (as in the meeting packet) of approximately $1.96279 million; staff said that, after earlier uses of reserves, the project is effectively about $2,834 ‘‘in the black’’ compared to the current project cost figures shown in the packet. Staff explained they continue to fundraise to backfill operating reserves and to ensure a buffer given uncertainty in operating costs. - Operating projections presented by staff produced a recommended initial budget ask for pool operations in the range of roughly $356,000, which includes wages, training, chemicals, small equipment and a modest capital replacement set‑aside. Staff presented three recovery scenarios (25%, 40%, 60%) and the draft fee schedule (day passes, season passes, punch passes) to model revenue at each recovery target.

Programming and fees - Swim lesson planning: staff recommended offering multi‑level lessons June 1–Aug. 7 and proposed a starting instructor pay of about $35 per lesson/class. Additional programming discussed included aqua aerobics, diving board classes, pool rentals, birthday parties and special events. - Draft fees presented for the seasonal pool included a youth/senior day pass of $7 and an adult day pass of $12, with a variety of punch pass and seasonal pass options. Staff noted many comparators are mixed rec/pool facilities, so the town’s pool‑only rates were compared with both pool‑only and combined‑facility peers across the valley.

Mock‑up wall and art process Commissioners also inspected a recently built mock‑up of the pool building’s corner veneer: an exterior brick/veneer pattern with glass‑block sections that will daylight the locker rooms. Staff and a design representative reported field testing of the mock‑up at various light levels and said viewers could not see through the installed glass blocks into the locker rooms in the scenarios tested. Commissioners asked that the Carbondale Arts Commission (CPAC/Arts Commission) review the block design because the feature qualifies under the project’s 1% for the arts program; staff noted the mock‑up had been useful to evaluate how lighting and grout color affect the final appearance.

Ending: Staff will carry the recommended operations draft into the 2026 budget process, bring final fee language in Appendix A for trustee consideration, continue donor efforts to rebuild reserves and return with refined engineering and cost details. Staff will also engage the Arts Commission on final detailing for the glass‑block veneer.