Parks and Recreation could change gym, pool hours

Parks and recreation committee members will consider rescheduling the hours of operation for the swimming pool facility in the coming months.

Two themes emerged over the course of the discussion of some potential schedules at the Jan. 8 Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting. The first was concerns that the current schedule, which has variable hours for the non-pool facilities over the various weekdays, is inconvenient for some customers. The second was concerns that altering the hours of operation for both the pool and the weight room, showers, and racquetball court could affect the department’s bottom line.

Potential schedule revisions should focus on times in the morning and after work hours, when local gym patrons have time to exercise before and after work instead of the current variable schedule, said Parks and Recreation Director Amber Al-Haddad.

Potential revisions to the open hours for the recreation facility distributed to board members contained multiple options, though Al-Haddad says those revisions are too preliminary to presently release to the public.

“Right now, they’re just too arbitrary,” she said later.

Committee members commented extensively about them anyway, saying revisions presented to them at the meeting would require justification to the public.

“Some of the negatives I saw right away is the amount of time the facility is going to be closed,” said committee member Haig Demerjian.

Parks and Recreation facilities are currently open 61 hours per week, and draft plans would reduce those hours between 13 and 26 percent, Demerjian said.

“I guess we need to be able to justify that,” he said.

Drastic cuts could both positively and adversely affect the facilities’ bottom line. Reduced hours would reduce the costs of running the facility. However, drastic cuts could also adversely affect revenues, said committee member Grover Mathis.

“If you cut back on the hours, fewer businesses are gonna buy passes,” he said. “It’s a real fine line we walk because we’re constantly dealing with inadequate funding. It’s never self-sustaining. If you cut back 25 percent, you’re gonna alienate a lot of people.”

The process of finding an ideal schedule will likely conclude as the borough moves towards constructing the 2015 budget, and possible reductions (or expansions) in hours.

In other business, the committee will also consider drafting and recommending to the borough assembly an ordinance related to logging activities on parks and recreation property.

Reports that two Volunteer Park pine trees – one at least 30 feet tall — had been felled Dec. 7 and the tops had been removed to serve as Christmas trees sparked discussion over the issue. The borough currently doesn’t have a statute on the books related to cutting down trees in public parks.

In addition to the ordinance, officials will consider increasing the amount of signage in areas on park property indistinguishable from other local property.

A proposed ordinance would be drafted by the city attorney, then considered at a first hearing at the committee, then considered at first and second hearings by full assembly before taking effect.

The committee also accepted the resignation of member Sue Nelson.