Aquatics center fees approved during Tuesday's council meeting

After months of discussion, the Sidney City Council approved the 2016 admission, lesson and rental fees for the Sidney Aquatics Center that will be open to the public as soon as the end of May.

Tom Von Seggern, park superintendent for the City of Sidney, presented to the council revised fees based on feedback from the March 8 regular city council meeting.

"You had me research a few things," Von Seggern said.

For children five years and under and seniors, the admission price is set at $3 daily and $45 annually. The annual amount was derived from the cost of 15 daily visits.

Youth carry a daily admission price of $4 and an annual price of $60, also derived from the cost of 15 daily visits.

Adult prices are set at $5 for daily admission and $90 for an annual pass, derived from the cost of 18 daily visits to the aquatics center.

The price for the family season pass was set at $150, a decrease from the previously proposed $180, or double the annual adult pass price.

For the family pass, the city defines "family" as a married couple, as defined by Nebraska law, and unmarried children through the age of 18 years living in one household.

For unmarried children between 19 and 23 years of age, they can be on the family pass only if they are either a full-time college student or in the military, and must have proper identification stating such.

Foster children or other children under the legal guardianship of a parent can be added to the family pass by providing a copy of the official court documents awarding the member custody of the child.

"I think the $150 would be more palatable," council member Roger Gallaway said of the decreased price. "Especially since we never had season passes in the past."

Councilor Joe Arterburn agreed with Gallaway.

"Let's see how the numbers work out," Arterburn said. "It's fluid, so why push it and maybe drive people away?"

Last year, the prices for the Sidney public pool was 75 cents for children up to 12 years, teens and seniors were $1.25 and adults were $2. Mayor Mark Nienhueser said in hindsight, the daily fees should have been incrementally raised through the years.

"It is a shock," Nienhueser said.

City Manager Ed Sadler said because it was a big increase, $150 for the family pass was "a good place to start."

"You will never have a pool that will pay for itself," Sadler said. "That never happens. It's all a question of how much you want to subsidize it, if you will, as an amenity for the community, to market this community and make it a good place to live."

Sadler said based upon this year's numbers, the council could consider an additional tier for families of five or more in the future.

"You can play with it after you get the numbers," he said.

County Attorney J. Leef said adjustments could also be made during the year if needed by bringing the resolution back to the council for amendment.

Von Seggern said changing the family pass to $150 reduced the aquatics center's recovery factor from 84 percent to 77 percent.

"But those are pretty fluid numbers right now until we get a year under our belt," he said.

Von Seggern said with large day cares and the Cool Kids Club, children who are part of a family pass will be covered. For children not on a family or season pass, he said they are researching grants and scholarships for them as well as the swim team.

"It sounds like we're going to get a lot of kids covered with scholarships," Von Seggern said.

Adult supervisors will be admitted at no charge, he said.

"Our lifeguards have to be free to patrol the water," Von Seggern said. "They're not babysitters."

For children who qualify for free or reduced lunches with their schools, the aquatics center will allow the same for admission, with scholarships supplementing those costs.

"If it's reduced lunches, it would be half price, and if they're free, then it'd be free for the admission fee," Von Seggern said.

For home day cares, Von Seggern proposed a business fee of $50 added to the price of the family pass, and allow them to attend on weekdays only, not weekends or holidays, but council declined to go with the suggestion.

In aquatic activities, set prices are $40 for five sessions of swimming lessons, $35 flat for water aerobics fitness classes with the purchase of a season pass, with non-season passholders also charged the daily admission fee, and $125 per hour for rental of the center for parties.

Set hours for the Sidney Aquatics Center will be from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, with two hours set aside for lap swimming and the rest for public swimming. On weekends, the center will close at 6:30 p.m.

"It's subject to change, but I think we can make that work," Von Seggern said.

Nienhueser asked about how the center would handle children who would have to exit the pool in the late afternoon for adult swim but want to come back afterwards. Von Seggern said the the daily fee would cover the entire day, so they would not have to repay to enter.

"We can either do a stamp or something so they can come back in the evening," he said.

During swim meets, the aquatics center will be closed in the morning, but would reopen in the afternoon by 2:30 p.m.

"That will apply to the 'Splash and Dash,' which will be a money raiser for the pool as well," Von Seggern said.

Von Seggern said the aquatics center would be open 105 days, an increase from last summer when the pool was open for 77 days.

The $5.4 million Sidney Aquatics Center began construction in August last year. The facility will include a lap pool, leisure pool with lazy river, a 20-foot slide, five geysers and other water features and amenities. It will also have locker rooms, a concession stand and a pump room.

If the project remains on schedule, the expected completion date is May 24 in time for Memorial Day weekend.