The city of Roeland Park is making some changes to its aquatic center operations in 2024, including drastically reduced rates for pool passes.
The Roeland Park City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a fee schedule that included cuts to individual, senior and non-resident family aquatic center passes for the 2024 season.
This, along with city staff efforts to bring in more lifeguards, is in an effort to get more people to the Roeland Park Aquatic Center — and hopefully keep the doors open more days during the pool season, officials say.
Resident pool pass rate slashed by more than 50%
- The city council approved a $40 cut to the individual resident season passes, which in 2023 cost $75 compared to the $35 that will be charged in 2024.
- For individuals who live outside of Roeland Park, a season pass in 2024 will cost $45 — down from $120 in 2023.
- Non-resident family passes will cost $165 in 2024 compared to $180 in 2023.
- The cost for senior passes also dropped to $30 for residents and $40 for non-residents, compared to $65 and $110 in 2023, respectively.
- Meanwhile, the city got rid of the five and 10-visit punch cards because the new rates make it more cost effective for individuals or families to buy a season pass and go to the pool at least six times.
Staff is working to attract more lifeguards
- Anthony Marshall, the city’s director of parks and recreation, told the city council on Tuesday about his efforts to bring in more lifeguards for 2024.
- The lack of lifeguards — which first cropped up in 2021 — caused the recently revamped aquatic center to remain closed three days out of the week during the 2023 season.
- Marshall said that after attending local high school swim meets and connecting with coaches, he’s received interest from more than a dozen high school swimmers.
- There are also several returning Roeland Park lifeguards who want to come back, Marshall said, for a total of about 30 potential lifeguards for the 2024 season.
- Marshall said he plans to continue his outreach efforts into the girls swim team season, which starts in March.
- The city starts lifeguards out at $16 per hour at the Roeland Park Aquatic Center.
The city council wants pool fully staffed and open
- Several governing body members mentioned their desire to get people to the pool.
- Councilmember Tom Madigan said he’s tired of hearing from residents that the aquatic center is never open.
- Councilmember Jan Faidley said residents expressed in the lead-up to last year’s elections frustration with the aquatic center’s days of operation.
- “I’m going to say what we all know: the real answer to this and reversing some of these trends of declining numbers of Roeland Park residents using the pool, we’ve just got to fully staff and be open,” Faidley said.
Go deeper: Lifeguard shortage forces revamped Roeland Park Aquatic Center to open fewer days this summer
