Alpine council approves pool-fee plan, ties opening to Cartwright well coming online

The Alpine City Council on May 19 approved an amended plan for the municipal pool that sets daily admission at $4 per person and establishes monthly season-pass options, but tied the actual opening date to local water-supply conditions.

Council adopted the amendment unanimously: individual daily admission $4; monthly passes $30 per individual, $150 per family of up to five and $180 per month for families larger than five. The amendment also specified that the pool opening would be contingent on the Cartwright well operating at approximately 130 gallons per minute and on the city’s conservation stage being lowered to Stage 3, at which point the city could begin filling the pool. Staff estimated filling would require about three days and an additional stabilization period.

Donnie Greenway, the project consultant from Toppine Pool and Spa, told council the contractor’s liner and seam work looked solid and that industry practice is to avoid leaving the liner unfilled for long; he recommended not leaving the liner idle more than 30 days before filling and said the contractor typically completes startup services once a pool is filled and signed off.

Kim (recreation coordinator) outlined a revenue plan emphasizing reintroducing season passes and monthly passes to stabilize cash flow: she proposed season-pass pricing that equates to roughly $1 per-person-per-day across the season and recommended piloting monthly passes to ease out-of-pocket costs for families. Kim said an integrated lifeguard scheduling and membership software would support pass validation and daily patron tracking.

Council members discussed optics and fairness amid the city’s broader water emergency. Some members urged caution about filling a city pool while residential watering restrictions were in place; others supported finding a balance between community recreation and water conservation. The council settled on making the pool opening contingent on the Cartwright well and operational readiness.

Next steps: staff will monitor the Cartwright well test results and system alarms; if tests and operational checks succeed and the city moves to Stage 3, staff will begin filling and complete chemical stabilization before opening. Final staffing, signage and fee-administration details will be implemented by the recreation department.