Parks advisory board approves Pollock Community Waterpark 2025 fee changes

The Oshkosh Parks Advisory Board voted on Sept. 9 to approve proposed 2025 fee revisions for the Pollock Community Waterpark, following staff presentations that compared municipal pool rates in the region and outlined staffing and operational cost pressures.

Staff said the Oshkosh Parks Foundation will continue to support low-income family passes and that the department is absorbing higher lifeguard recertification and training costs to retain staff. Staff told the board the last rate revision was in 2021 and that recent wage and staffing pressures motivated the review.

Board members asked for clarification about concession pricing tied to birthday-party packages and requested exact hourly-pay figures for lifeguards and concession staff; staff said those payroll details would be provided later as budgeting figures. The board also discussed how seasonal hiring changes and earlier pass sales nights affect discounted rates.

After a motion and second, advisory board members present voted to approve the proposed pool-fee schedule for 2025. Members recorded 'aye' votes from Amy Davis, Becky Metz, Jacob Plumb, Steve Herman and Devin Hudak.

Staff described those rate changes as placing Pollock roughly in the middle to upper end of comparable municipal pools in the region while aiming to cover increasing operational costs without relying on foundation funds for day-to-day operations.

The board approved the fee revisions by voice vote and asked staff to provide final payroll and concession-package details for the budget record. The fee change will move forward to the City Council process as required by city budget protocols.