Council punts unpopular increase on swim team members

Starting in September, daily pool admission for the Kedron Aquatic Center will increase by $1.

Also, the city will change its pool pass system from twice a year to quarterly. Both changes would net an estimated $43,000 in extra revenue a year.

While those measures were approved by the City Council Thursday night, council punted a proposal to raise fees for local swim teams that use the Kedron pool. Those increases, based on the amount of space and time used in the pool by each team, would have gained an estimated $55,000 in revenue for a pool facility that costs taxpayers $500,000 a year to operate.

Critics countered that the raises are too steep, with one suggesting that all sports teams in Peachtree City be responsible for paying, for example, an extra $5 a year to pay for Kedron operations.

The proposed increases would have played out thusly:
• Southern Crescent Aquatic Team would see its fee go from the current $5 to $32 a swimmer;
• High school teams also would pay $32 a swimmer, up from $3;
• Masters program swimmers would be raised from $5 each to $18 each; and
• The city’s Pirates summer program team would pay $5 per county resident and $10 per out of county resident.

A local high school coach complained that the $32 cost was too much considering the teams use the pool in the early morning when no other residents use it. But a city staffer pointed out that because of those early hours an employee has to open up the facility especially for those teams.

Councilman Steve Boone suggested city staff approach the school board for funding based on the usage of the high school swim programs. Currently the high schools pay a total of $1,500 a year to use Kedron’s indoor pool for the winter swim season.

“Our expense is more than that I’m sure,” Mayor Harold Logsdon said.

Councilwoman Cyndi Plunkett said she agreed with a resident’s idea that McIntosh and Starr’s Mill high schools shouldn’t have to pay as much as other county high schools since city residents are already paying tax dollars to subsidize the pool operations.

“The thing is not to make the Kedron facility a zero cost for the city,” Logsdon said. “... It’s trying to cut costs and share expenses.”

The increases approved by council won’t go into effect until September because the city has already advertised.

The fee increases were part of a proposal from city staff that could net a $300,000 decrease in operating expenses for the Kedron Aquatic Center and Fieldhouse. Part of that also includes the reduction of four staff positions, officials noted.

There are also two entities interested in operating the fieldhouse and aquatic center for the city, each of which has made vague information proposals. Council decided to pursue a more formal process to get specifics from each group before deciding whether to outsource Kedron operations or not.

One of those interested in running the facility, Dar Thompson, has proposed replacing the gym/basketball courts with an ice rink facility.