Three fee options discussed for pool
Early indications are it will cost a lot less than some thought to swim at the new city pool when it comes to daily admission.
Although some guessed admission could be doubled in discussions almost two years ago, members of the Parks and Recreation Committee indicated Monday only a slight increase is likely from previous daily admission fees. In 2001, the last summer the pool was open, those fees were $2.50 for small children and seniors and $3 for adults and children over-7.
Alderman Bobby Kirby, who chairs the committee, presented several options in one of the first open discussions on pool fees since members of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to build the new outdoor pool at a cost of around $2 million in 2002. He noted the proposals are options and may be changed in the future.
“There are just all kinds of options,” Kirby said Tuesday. “It is my intention to keep it as low as feasibly possible because it will be well-used. I don’t want it to be cost prohibitive.”
Parks and Recreation Director Carlene Brown told aldermen the pool is on schedule to open in late May. Aldermen said they would meet again in a few weeks to vote on fees in time to coordinate with the pool’s opening.
One option is to increase daily fees for small children and seniors 50 cents and to increase them for older children and adults $1, making daily fees $3 and $4, respectively.
Additionally, that proposal provides for increases to summer passes. Up from the previous summer pass fee of $175, the option provides for a pass to be purchased by a city resident family for $200 and by a non-resident family for $275. Individual passes would be $75 for residents and $100 for non-residents.
Aldermen balked at the idea of not having a family pass at all, which was described as not producing as much revenue as daily fees can. Kirby noted another option is to maximize the city’s dual fee structure and have residents pay no daily fee increase but pay slightly more for summer passes, while non-city residents would pay more.
Aldermen said operating costs of the new pool will be between $125,000 and $130,000 per year and said the fee structure will be centered around meeting those costs. Officials have also noted the fee structure won’t support the capital project itself.
Pool fees
Pool fees being discussed by McMinnville aldermen:
Option One
• Daily entrance fee for city residents:
$4 adults and older children
$3 age 7-and-under
$3 over 55
• Daily entrance fee, non-residents:
$5 adults
$4 age 7-and-under
$4 over 55
• No annual pass system
Option Two
• Daily entrance fee for city residents:
$3 adults and older children
$2.50 age 7-and-under
$2.50 over 55
• Daily entrance fee, non-residents:
$4 adults
$3.50 age 7-and-under
$3.50 over 55
• Passes:
$200 city resident family; $75 resident individual
$275 non-resident family; $100 non-resident individual
Option Three:
• Daily entrance fees for residents and non-residents
$4 adults and older children
$3 age 7 and under
$3 over 55
• Passes
$200 city resident family; $75 resident individual
$275 non-resident family; $100 non-resident individual