Lawrence City Commission votes to increase pool entrance fees

photo by: Nick Krug/Journal-World File Photo

The Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center, pictured Thursday, July 7, 2016.

Entrance fees at the city’s public pools will increase this summer, and some age groups will no longer receive free admission.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted, 3-1, to increase pool entrance fees at Lawrence aquatic centers for all age groups, including toddlers. Pool entrance fees will increase by $2 over the next two years, and the city will no longer provide free entry to 3- and 4-year-olds.

Commissioner Leslie Soden cast the lone vote against the fee increase. Vice Mayor Lisa Larsen was absent.

Operations at the city’s two aquatic centers — the outdoor center at 727 Kentucky St. and the indoor center at 4706 Overland Drive — are funded through user fees and sales tax. Lawrence Parks and Recreation Director Derek Rogers told commissioners that aquatics is the most expensive recreation function, and that revenue from programming, rentals, entrance and other user fees only covered 55 percent of the costs in 2017. He said that ratio should be higher.

“That’s swim teams, rentals, events, programming and other staff fees,” Rogers said. “Based on direct costs, big programs like that should be funded by revenue at a minimum of 70 percent.”

Mayor Stuart Boley said the city’s aquatics programming needs to be more cost-effective, and that he appreciated city staff paying attention to how aquatics is being balanced. However, Boley said aquatics is an important part of a healthy community, and that he was only in favor of the fee increase if the discounts currently offered were to remain available.

“One of the things I’m interested in is the daily passes, and making sure that kids who can’t afford this have an opportunity to take advantage of the access that the city has,” Boley said. “Because that’s where the need is, that’s where you have to be most responsive.”

Rogers said the department would continue to donate 5,000 free and discounted passes annually to social service organizations and other community groups. City recreation staff also said that the city schedules “buck nights” once per month, “two-dollar Tuesdays” during the summer and events that offer free entry for seniors.

But Soden said she thinks the discussion to increase the entrance fees was being had prematurely. The Parks and Recreation Department is working with a consultant to conduct a cost-recovery analysis of all the department’s programs, which Rogers said would be complete this summer. Soden said the city should hold off on increasing entrance fees until the analysis is complete.

Commissioner Matthew Herbert did not agree, and said that one of the goals in the commission’s strategic plan is asset management, and that he thinks that increasing the pool fees to cover more costs is part of that effort. He also pointed out that a report from city staff indicated that the city’s pool entrance fees are considerably lower than those of similar communities.

Currently, children 4 and younger are admitted for free, children ages 5-17 pay $3, adults pay $4, and those older than 60 pay $3. Beginning this summer, 3- and 4-year-olds will no longer be admitted free and pool entrance fees will see the first of two increases. Specifically, the fees will increase by $1 beginning May 1 and then increase by $1 again on Jan. 1, 2020. According to comparison tables provided to the commission, cities such as Mission, Lenexa, Topeka and Olathe all currently charge $5 or more for entry.

Commissioner Jennifer Ananda said she thought the entrance fee increase was a limited one, especially considering the entrance fees of other communities. Like Boley, Ananda said the city should make a commitment to maintaining the entrance fee discounts currently provided and should perhaps even consider adding more.

“Because I know for some families, even swimming with an adult and two kids at the current rate is still incredibly costly,” Ananda said.