Maumee, Perrysburg: Swimming pool policies revised; seniors assisted

3/9/2005

Snow is still falling, but the minds of Maumee and Perrysburg officials are pool side.

Council members from both cities last week reviewed policies on their municipal pools. Maumee decided to extend season passes to non-residents, and Perrysburg will give a deeper discount to senior citizens.

Last summer, Maumee opened its Rolf Park Pool on Cass Road. The $3.4-million complex has water slides, a 10,000-square-foot pool with lanes for lap swimming, a diving well, and a play area for children.

The pool attendance for last summer was 20,459.

"We didn't know what to expect the first season," Joseph Camp, commissioner of public service, said. "I thought we might be a little bit above that attendance figure, but last year's weather was not conducive to a good swimming season."

Mr. Camp said the pool complex never approached maximum capacity, so administrators recommended offering season passes to non-residents. City Council voted Monday night to issue up to 250 season passes to people living outside the city limits.

The passes for non-residents will cost twice the amount of those for Maumee residents. Before the pool opens, the passes will cost $110 for the first member of a family and $20 for each additional family member. Once the pool season begins, the price will go up to $130 for the first member of a family and remain at $20 for each additional family member.

Non-residents were allowed to attend the pool last year at a charge of $10 per visit, but they could not buy season passes.

City officials also are working on a few other changes at the Rolf Park Pool. The city is hoping to hire four more lifeguards at the pool this summer, bringing the total number of guards to 25, and administrators are drafting a policy that would allow people to rent the facility after hours.

The pool complex will be open from June 4 to Aug. 26.

"I was very pleased with the first season, and we're very hopeful that we'll have a full season this year," Mr. Camp said.

Perrysburg operates a pool at Municipal Park on Elm Street and allows swimming in the Three Meadows Pond off U.S. 20. Area residents can buy season passes that permit access to the pool and pond.

The city has always given senior citizens a discount on swimming passes, and council voted last week to cut the prices by an extra $10 for seniors who live in the city.

"We're trying to give the seniors in the city a little bit of a break," Deputy Service Director Jon Eckel said. "Some seniors take their grandchildren swimming, and we wanted them to be able to get in for less."

The new season pass prices for seniors who live in the city are $40 before the pool opens and $45 after the pool opens.