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City-funded ‘Stay Cool Bloomington’ free pool days drew tens of thousands; sustainability dept. covered roughly $99,000
Summary
The board heard a summary of Stay Cool Bloomington: about 18 free pool days across Bryant Park and Mills Pool attracted roughly 16,000 visitors combined and the sustainability department funded about $99,000 in admissions to support residents during heat‑risk days.
Parks staff reported on the Stay Cool Bloomington free pool‑day initiative, which opened Bryant Park and Mills Pool to residents on heat‑risk days this summer under a partnership with the city's sustainability (ESD) department.
Chris Hamrick, sports facility manager, said ESD agreed to fund free admissions on heat‑risk days (level 2 and above on the city's heat‑risk measure) and that the program totaled roughly $99,000 in funded admissions. "99 about $99,000 total was funded by the sustainability department," Hamrick said, adding that Bryant Park Pool recorded about 12,000 visitors on Stay Cool days and Mills Pool about 4,000, for approximately 18 total event days across both pools. Staff described several logistical challenges — storms canceled some dates and high attendance outpaced initial expectations — and thanked lifeguards and staff for managing large crowds safely.
Commissioners asked about the heat threshold and the choice of level 2 (moderate heat risk) to trigger free days; Hamrick said ESD set that threshold based on their heat‑risk guidance to protect populations sensitive to heat. Staff also said they will meet with sustainability staff to discuss funding for next year.
The board praised the program and asked staff to plan for sustainable funding and communications for future seasons. The Stay Cool initiative will inform future budget discussions about resilience and heat‑response programming.
