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Committee reviews aquatic center finances and considers 2026 pricing changes
Summary
Staff reported 2025 aquatic center expenses were above budget in maintenance and contracted services; electricity costs rose after earlier system start-ups. Committee discussed resident vs. nonresident rates, season-pass mechanics and asked staff for a Sportsman report breaking down daily versus season revenues before any rate change.
Committee members reviewed the aquatic center’s 2025 season finances and opened a first-round discussion on 2026 pricing, requesting more detailed sales data before any rate changes.
Staff told the committee that year-end numbers are incomplete but that expenses ran higher than budget in maintenance and contracted services. The operating contract with the session operator (identified in the packet) and labor costs were cited as primary expense pressures. Staff said they signed a maintenance contract with Newman Pools (amount discussed as about $73,072) for winter/off-season work; scheduling will depend on contractor availability.
Committee members noted a drop in swim-lesson attendance compared with previous years and asked whether evening lessons might be feasible if nearby facilities (Rothschild/Schofield) change their offerings. Staff contrasted their daytime lesson model with neighboring facilities that run lessons while facilities remain open to the public.
The committee pressed staff on a notable increase in electricity costs. Staff explained part of the increase resulted from bringing the pool systems online earlier in the season and running large motors and chemical pumps longer than in prior years; one committee member cited a rough calculation dividing an $18,000 electricity total by a 79-day season to illustrate per-day cost.
On Item 11 (2026 pricing), staff presented comparative rates from nearby facilities and noted many variables make direct comparisons imperfect. Staff supplied sales figures for this year (joint memberships roughly $10,827; Weston-only memberships roughly $15,588) and reported daily-pass revenue of $197,547 for the season. Committee members requested detailed Sportsman reports breaking down daily passes, season passes, senior and non-swimmer sales so the committee can analyze which rates to adjust. No pricing decision was made; members discussed phasing changes (e.g., raise daily rate first, consider resident/nonresident season-pass structure later).
The committee asked staff to return with a breakout of daily vs. season revenue, senior and non-swimmer counts, and any potential revenue offsets tied to intergovernmental agreements with neighboring communities.
