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Warren H. Doherty Aquatic Center reports rising use, program growth; council hears next steps on outreach and staffing
Summary
The aquatic center director reported 27,000 visits last year, rising lesson counts and growing senior use; the council discussed outreach, lifeguard training and project funding items tied to Bohemia Park construction.
Shane (presenting as Warren H. Doherty Aquatic Center director) told the Cottage Grove City Council that the pool’s use increased from about 16,000 visits before his arrival to roughly 27,000 in the most recent year, and that the center provides lessons, therapy pool access and competitive events for the community.
“That's what community use looks like. That's the therapy pool ... And then the big lap pool. It's a big pool, a lot of water,” the director said when describing program areas. He reported 7,049 single lessons given to schoolchildren and 2,086 single lessons to community children, and said community membership and attendance have trended upward since he began in the role.
The director told council that seniors account for a majority of regular monthly visits and that an upcoming lifeguard training class had 23 registrants. He also described ambitions to expand facility programming — hosting invitational swim meets year‑round and cautiously exploring incremental fee increases to support operations while maintaining access.
Councilors asked about broader community outreach to increase general public participation beyond school programs. The director said he plans more promotion via local paper, radio and community contacts and that he is still learning the most effective methods in his first 18 months on the job.
During public comment, residents praised the pool as a community asset and urged continued city support. One speaker, calling parks and the pool “quality of life” amenities, said such facilities draw prospective residents to Cottage Grove.
Council and staff also discussed Bohemia Park construction and related funding decisions. Staff reported that a water tower/splash‑feature item was removed from the current park contract after bids came in substantially above the engineer’s estimate; staff said the removal was a cost‑reduction measure and confirmed the splash‑feature will operate without the removed component. City staff described plans to install remaining gates and upgrade a water meter so the splash facility can open when temperatures meet state rules (staff indicated roughly May timing but did not set a firm opening date). The director said the facility remains committed to safety, training and youth programming.
The council did not take an action on pool funding during the meeting but praised the director’s report and welcomed further details on outreach and scheduling.
