Jersey Village council signals support to continue summer camp program as pool reopens

Parks and Recreation staff told the Jersey Village City Council on May 18 that the city’s summer camp program — started to fill a gap while the pool was closed — has generated a modest net surplus and is drawing registrations as the pool returns to service.

Isaac Cristinos, identified earlier in staff introductions as the Parks and Recreation Manager, provided week-by-week registration figures and said many weeks last year reached the program’s 30-child capacity. “We targeted 30,” he said, describing last year’s enrollment pattern and current-year registration that was building toward prior levels.

Councilors asked about resident versus nonresident participation, staffing burden and pricing. Staff said participation this year shows roughly a 50/50 split between residents and nonresidents for many weeks, with nonresidents charged a higher rate; staff also said part-time support and limited staff hours have been sufficient to operate the program. Several council members said they were comfortable continuing the program if it remains self-supporting and does not draw significant staff time away from pool oversight when the pool opens.

Why it matters: The program was created as a temporary replacement for pool-based programming. Continuing it would preserve a valued recreational option for families but may require adjustments if staff capacity or demand changes. Council asked staff to continue monitoring registrations and to return additional participation data if needed.

Next steps: Staff will track registration trends through the next registration spike and report back; the council did not take a formal vote but indicated informal support to continue the offering.