Survey shows strong demand for pool hours and affordable rates; staff report mechanical outages at pools

Menlo Park staff presented results of the 2025-26 aquatics user survey at the March 25 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, reporting 624 responses and 418 free-text comments collected between Dec. 6, 2025 and Jan. 20, 2026.

Staff said respondents across neighborhoods prioritized expanded hours (for example, open seven days a week or year-round), monthly pass options and reduced rates, and consistently ranked youth swim lessons among top program needs. "Among all responses... they're fairly consistent... generous hour offerings are important to them," a staff summary said.

Commissioners and public speakers raised operational concerns after recent maintenance outages. Staff reported that the shallow pool circulation pump at one facility is under warranty and the city is working with its maintenance vendor to source a replacement; staff also said only 3 of 5 heaters are currently functioning in one pool. "We are keeping a log of all of the impacts to the mechanical systems that are closing the pool and ultimately impacting access," staff said.

Staff said the city and the operator split maintenance responsibilities under the operator agreement (the city handles major systems; the operator maintains day-to-day monitoring and balancing). Staff will share the survey results with contract operator partners and review free-text comments in depth for program changes.

Why it matters: Survey feedback and ongoing mechanical issues together shape near-term access to aquatic facilities and program planning; mechanical outages can reduce available hours and undermine public confidence in pool reliability.

Next step: Staff will provide additional analysis of free-text comments, coordinate with the operator on scheduling and maintenance plans, and report back with implementation ideas for hours and programming.