Millburn Pool Memberships Down

The number of families who have a membership at the Millburn pool has dropped this year, and there are plenty of theories for the drop.

James Suell, Township Committee member who is a liaison to the Recreation Commission, said during Tuesday night's meeting the number of family memberships is down by 13 percent this summer, which means a drop in revenue.

Robert Hogan, Recreation Director, said the number of memberships have gone down from about 6,600 a year ago to about 6,000 this year. The drop comes after there has been an all-time high in the number of memberships for the pool the last four or five years, he said.

A drop in revenue, however, doesn't mean there will be any changes in how the pool is run. Hogan said the pool, like the golf course, is not a program that stands on revenue as its only source of funding. It is subsidized through taxpayer dollars to hire staff, including lifeguards, and make improvements, he said.

Revenue from various programs do help off-set recreation costs. Hogan said the revenue can cover up to 90 percent of the costs, which means less of an impact on taxpayers.

There is no one reason for why there has been a drop in the number of family memberships, but Hogan said he has some theories.

One issue is that there are not the same number of people buying new homes and moving into Millburn-Short Hills this summer, he said. Many families who move into the town each summer become members of the pool as a way to meet others in the community, he said.

Additionally, there is competition from other pools. Hogan said there are three or four private swim clubs in the area, and at least one has changed its price structure. Additionally, one private club in the area has an indoor and outdoor pool, which means it can provide year-round pool access to families, he said.

But the Millburn pool still has reasonable rates—one of the lowest of the communities in the area—with a quality facility, Hogan said.

The family membership is $245 for the season, an individual membership is $130 and a senior citizen membership is $65.

"People could be cutting back," he said. "It's not like we're not affordable because we're one of the cheapest in the area. And we have a nice pool."

The Millburn pool is open noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends through Sept. 7.