Plasco Aquatic Center review: commissioners weigh fee increases, partial closures and cost-saving options

City staff presented an operational review of the Plasco Aquatic Center and prompted a multi-hour discussion about how to reduce the center’s subsidy while preserving swim lessons and essential services.

Community Services Director Dennis Nishihara told the commission the city currently spends about $674,630 annually to operate the pool — approximately $465,000 in operations and $208,000 in maintenance — and that projected revenues for the next budget year are around $185,000. Nishihara said those numbers leave the city to subsidize a large portion of the facility’s cost: “whether you're heating your pool, whether you're putting chemicals in the pool, or whether you're putting a lifeguard at the pool… an aquatic center … does not make enough revenue to offset its expenditures,” he said.

Commissioners and the public discussed four broad options staff presented: (1) eliminate the extended season that runs after school resumes; (2) increase user fees and consider higher nonresident fees with discounts for city residents; (3) implement partial closures or modified hours to match attendance patterns; and (4) pursue operational efficiencies…