Parks staff report mild summer at San Ramon pools; city flags 50‑meter pool renovation for study

Parks and Community Services presented its 2025 Summer Aquatics Program Review to the commission, reporting a modest summer season, steady lifeguard staffing and plans to study a larger renovation of the San Ramon Olympic 50‑meter pool.

The presentation highlighted the program’s public‑safety and community benefits and included attendance and operational notes: the three return dive‑in movie nights drew a combined 786 attendees; the department offered 29 weeklong aquatics camps this summer; and the city hosted large recreational swim meets, including the Valley Swim Association championship meet with roughly 1,300 swimmers. Kevin (Aquatics staff) reported the swim lesson program experienced reduced enrollment compared with prior years, which staff attribute to more year‑round indoor swim schools in the region and reduced school‑district enrollment.

Safety and staffing

Kevin told commissioners that lifeguards performed 53 water rescues this year (down from 70 in 2024) and that 124 seasonal staff supported pool operations over the summer. He praised the lifeguard training program and described efforts to expand local training capacity, including an in‑progress partnership negotiation with the American Red Cross to host lifeguard and water‑safety instructor academies in San Ramon.

“A drowning continues to be one of the most preventable tragedies affecting families each year,” Kevin said, emphasizing the city’s role in offering accessible lessons and lifeguard training.

Program performance and trends

- Recreation swim and lap swim usage was weather‑driven; a mild summer with only 17 days above 90°F reduced attendance compared with 2024, when 31 days exceeded 90°F. The Santa Rita (Santa Rona in transcript) Olympic Pool attracted 91% of entries across the two city pools. - The dive‑in movie nights (Moana 2 and Sonic 3 among the titles) and the re‑added movie series were well received; the city expects to continue three movie nights in 2026. The department also supported middle‑school teen pool parties and a busy rental calendar. - The swim lesson contractor (Elite Swim) maintained high customer satisfaction (about 80% in customer surveys), but staff plan a community swim‑lesson survey to refine program delivery to local demand.

Looking ahead: Olympic pool renovation

Kevin told the commission the city has started preliminary planning for a large renovation of the 50‑meter pool at the San Ramon Olympic Pool. He cautioned that taking an Olympic‑length pool offline is a major operational decision and that the renovation would aim to bring infrastructure up to current health and safety codes. “There’s not really an option for phased approaches here,” he said, noting the operational impact of removing a 50‑meter facility from service and the need for community input on scope and timing.

Staff also reported ongoing partnership discussions with East Bay Regional Park District lifeguard services and reiterated the importance of local training capacity to sustain seasonal operations.

Ending

Commissioners thanked staff for the report, praised lifeguard recruitment and training, and asked staff to return with additional detail after community feedback on swim lessons and as planning for the Olympic pool renovation progresses.