Pool hours could be cut back

The swimming pool at the downtown recreation center in Costa Mesa could be closed for half the year — from October to April — to save the city $122,000.

Although the item is only a small part of the city’s sweeping plan to cut programs, services and staffing to reduce spending by an unprecedented amount ($26 million) from this year to the next, it has drawn pleas from a number of pool users to keep it open.

The pool is heavily subsidized by the city. It costs about $350,000 per year to operate, and the city makes only about $86,000 of that money back by charging people fees to swim and take lessons, according to Administrative Services Director Steve Mandoki.

Lessons cost about $36 for eight and lap swim costs $3 per day. Assuming the city were able to maintain the same amount of users, it would have to double the lesson fee and increase the lap swim fee to $18 per day in order to generate the $122,000 that will be saved by closing the pool.

“The pool is not that heavily used in the winter,” Mandoki said, adding that there were some regulars who came every day, but nothing near the usage during summer time.

A group of regular pool users has organized an effort to try to keep it open.

One of the leaders of the group is Kristen Zechmeister, a former high school swim coach who swims at the pool.

“Many of us use this pool continuously throughout the year for training, exercise and rehabilitating injuries,” she said.

Mark West is in this category. He swims at the downtown pool during lunchtime to keep healthy and says the pool is an invaluable asset to his well-being.

Zechmeister sent a list of suggestions for making the pool more lucrative to the city. Some of her ideas include offering membership packages, increasing marketing, adding classes like water aerobics for a fee and renting out the pool for community events.

Mandoki said the pool was targeted because, unlike other city programs like concerts in the park, mobile recreation and after school set-ups, the pool requires more maintenance and supervision of users.

By shutting down for half of the year, the city can avoid paying almost 8,000 hours of staff time, Mandoki said.