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Menlo Park reports expanded pool hours, lifeguard training and growth in swim programming
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Summary
At the Feb. 25 Parks & Recreation Commission meeting, staff summarized the 2025 aquatics annual report: expanded weekly pool hours (156 total), 215 lifeguards certified, large increases in lessons and open-swim participation at Belle Haven, and 2026 priorities to rebuild visitor volume and expand senior and adaptive programming.
Tim Schaeffer presented a condensed version of the City of Menlo Park's 2025 aquatics annual report at the Feb. 25 Parks & Recreation Commission meeting, highlighting expanded operating hours, increased training for lifeguards and notable growth in swim programming at the city's two pools.
Schaeffer told commissioners that Burgess and Belle Haven pools together provide about 156 hours of weekly aquatic services (93 hours at Burgess; 63 at Belle Haven). He said staff certified 215 lifeguards in 2024, each undergoing a 40-hour certification process followed by ongoing in-service training; Schaeffer said the department increased in-service training about 30% and added more lifeguard audits and safety checks.
The presenter reported that Belle Haven (the facility's first full year in its renovated form) saw large year-over-year increases: a roughly 50% increase in swim lessons, a 45% increase in scholarship swim lessons and a 200% increase in annual open-swim events compared with pre-renovation baseline years. Schaeffer said 260 children received scholarship swim lessons; he emphasized that many scholarship recipients (about 69%) were city residents.
Looking ahead, staff said 2026 will be a year of operational stabilization and outreach: rebuilding pool visitor volume after schedule fluctuations, expanding senior-strength programs that combine in-water and on-deck exercise, adding more water-exercise classes, and doubling down on adaptive swim lessons. Schaeffer also said staff are reviewing repair timelines to shorten pool closures and improve mechanical response times.
The commission followed the presentation with questions about usage trends, outreach to nearby employers and whether service-hour cuts are still likely. Schaeffer said operations are stabilizing and that recent contract amendments have reduced the risk of service-hour reductions. He noted staff are testing later evening hours and conducting surveys; the city's separate aquatics community survey (Dec. 6–Jan. 20) received about 624 respondents, and staff plan to return with survey results and a study-session to council tentatively scheduled for March 24.
Procedure and votes: the commission also approved the Jan. 28, 2026 meeting minutes by roll call (four votes in favor).
