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Senior advisory committee flags Las Palmas pool maintenance, staffing and EXOS contract ahead of council review
Summary
National City’s Park and Recreation Senior Citizen Advisory Committee pressed staff on recurring closures at the Las Palmas pool, the scope of upcoming maintenance and whether the city should renew its EXOS management contract or alter terms before the Dec. 31 expiration.
The Park and Recreation Senior Citizen Advisory Committee in National City spent the bulk of its meeting examining operations at the Las Palmas pool and the city’s contract with EXOS, with staff citing repeated closures, equipment problems and a national lifeguard shortage.
Community services staff told the committee that “the EXOS agreement has been in effect for the last 2 years” and that the city currently allocates roughly $380,000 annually for the contract to cover management fees, lifeguards and supplies. Staff said full-year revenue at full opening would be about $200,000, and that the pool has not operated a full fiscal year since reopening after construction in November 2023.
Why it matters: Committee members said the pattern of closures — pumps, heaters and debris in older piping — has reduced programming and revenue and raised questions about whether the city should continue contracting with EXOS or bring operations in-house. Staff said an engineering analysis is underway and that the pool will close for preventative maintenance in January–February so the city can address problems and avoid future unplanned shutdowns.
Committee members pressed staff on cost and timing. A committee member asked whether the city had compared contractor costs to operating pools in-house; staff said they had recently compared figures with La Mesa and found internal operation could be more expensive because the city would pay benefit costs. Staff added that municipal pools often operate at a deficit in nearby jurisdictions.
Members also discussed options to limit payments to EXOS while the pool is closed. One member asked whether the contract could be placed on hold so funds could be used for repairs; staff said that approach is “an awesome thing to explore” but warned the logistics are complex because EXOS needs time to set up registration, staffing and scheduling if the pool reopens.
Staff said they do not yet have a final cost estimate for the equipment overhaul and will request numbers from the engineering department. On next steps, staff said the contract will appear before the City Council on Dec. 3 for a determination and that they will provide a staff report with recommendations and any requested analysis.
On staffing, staff noted a national lifeguard shortage and said EXOS trains and certifies hires; the committee suggested exploring junior lifeguard programs and local partnerships to expand the pool of available lifeguards.
The meeting ended with the committee asking staff to return budget and repair estimates before the council presentation and to explore sponsorship and grant options to offset operating costs.
