Park Board makes compromise for city pool hours

Sunday, April 9, 2017

A month after approving a change in city pool hours that would have ended nightly open swim at 6 p.m. this summer, the Greencastle Park Board called for a compromise on closing hours.

A number of local residents had recently expressed concerns about the early closing to Mayor Bill Dory, Park Board members and City Council liaison Steve Fields or left comments on the Banner Graphic website. In general, the complaint was that closing at 6 p.m. left little or no time for someone who works until 5 p.m. to be able to use the pool with their children.

Instead of stipulating nightly closing at 6 p.m. -- designed among other things to maximize the possibility of pool rentals with two pool party sessions a night possible at 6-8 and 8-10 p.m. -- the Park Board unanimously voted to close the pool at 7 p.m. nightly.

In making the motion, board member John Hennette called for “baby steps” in changing the pool hours, noting that even with closing at 7 on a regular basis the pool could still periodically close earlier by posting the early closing in advance should a private pool party want earlier times or two groups desire the same evening.

“You can leave Monday through Sunday open to reserve private pool parties as requests come in and see where that takes you,” Hennette said.

Board President Beva Miller called it a compromise.

“We’re trying to make a change,” she said, “but not an all-or-nothing change.”

The new pool hours were altered in time to be included in the 2017 Parks and Recreation Department activity and events brochure that is a little late getting to the printer this year, partly due to the resignation of Park Assistant Director Phil Cornelius and the uncertainty over which programs would continue on the schedule in his absence.

Cornelius has accepted an assistant director position at Brownsburg. His departure also will mean finding a person to fill the role of handling the aquatics center, as Cornelius did last summer.

Meanwhile, the 7 p.m. closing will mean that family swim will be scheduled 5-7 p.m., while evening swim lessons have also been slated.

Park Director Rod Weinschenk explained that another reason for suggesting the earlier closing was that on average only about 10 people were using the pool during evening hours last year, which makes it costly to employ four lifeguards for that period for minimal return. In fact, the pool used to close whenever less than a dozen patrons showed up, Weinschenk said.

In the meantime, more and more groups have requested renting the pool at 6 or 6:30 instead of 8 or 8:30 since many of them have younger children involved in their program or activity.

Weinschenk said his staff also “did an unofficial survey” of towns similar in size to Greencastle and found the majority close the pool at 6 p.m. And Brazil, he said, has a pool rental “almost every night.”

“So we’re kind of following that lead,” Weinschenk said.

The change, he said, still may not bring in much more pool revenue but it could save money by cutting expenses.

Another issue was the rental of the splash park, a change that was also approved at the March meeting.

Weinschenk said he thought people were confused in reading about that decision. The splash park will still be open and free to all comers from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., as it has since it opened.

“We’re not changing the hours,” the park director said, “we’re adding time to it so we can possibly rent it out.”

However, the rental is an option for 8-10 a.m. only on Saturday mornings and 8:15-10:15 p.m. each evening, a time when the splash park would otherwise be closed.

That may mean closing the outer splash park gate, he said, and bringing everyone in the rental party through the aquatic center so that the public is not confused by the hours of operation.

Splash park rental has been approved at $150 for the Saturday morning session because that would necessitate bringing in lifeguards who would not otherwise be present, Weinschenk noted. The evening period would be rented at $125.

The city pool is scheduled to close Sunday, Aug. 6 due to the early start of the school calendar.

There is not enough pool staff left at that point who wouldn’t be in school (high school or college), Weinschenk stressed.

When the Parks Department did try to stay open later by opening the pool after school hours ended, “only 10 or 12 kids showed up to swim,” Weinschenk said, which again isn’t even enough to meet expenses.

No motion was made to alter the closing date for the 2017 season.

Park Board President Miller and Hennette were joined by voting members Tim Trigg, Cathy Merrell and ex-officio members Wayne Lewis and David Taylor for the two-hour meeting at City Hall.

The next meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4.

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