How Much to Subsidize the Pool

The city plans to spend $747,140 in the next fiscal year to run , according to the municipal budget proposal released Monday. How much of that cost should be born by swimmers and how much by the community at large will be at the heart of Wednesday night's Recreation Commission hearing on what the fee schedule should be once the city takes over control of the facility July 1.

Annual dues made up more than three quarters of the approximately $600,000 a year the Piedmont Swim Club has been spending in recent years to operate the pool. But the club's membership rolls won't carry over to the city, and City Administrator Geoff Grote said while the failed lease negotiations were still ongoing that it would be difficult to generate all that money through seasonal or annual passes.

Under the being discussed Wednesday, annual family all access passes (good during both lap and recreation swim hours) would be $850 for residents and $950 for non-residents. That doesn't represent a big change as most recently Swim Club member dues were $850 and annual passes for non-members were $1,000.

But the Swim Club didn't offer seasonal passes, which would start at just $100 according to the city's proposal. And while the Swim Club only opened up the pool to the general public once a week at a rate of $10 for adults and $5 for kids, the city wants to offer daily public access starting at just $5 for adults and $3 for kids.

The city is projecting fees will generate $375,000 in the next fiscal year. General fund revenue will have to make up whatever costs aren't covered by fees.

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Follow @PiedmontPatch on Twitter to follow Wednesday night's hearing live.