By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green City Pool season made a splash this summer – with more swimmers, more students, more snacks sold, more revenue, and fewer incidents of “poo” in the pool.
With temperatures peaking past 90 degrees this week but students back in school, the pool winterizing process has begun. Though it’s too soon to have any specific details about the season, Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Director Kristin Otley on Tuesday reported an overview of the summer to the park board.
The good news is that pool revenue was up in every category – swimming lessons, daily admissions, season passes, and concession sales.
That news was balanced with Otley adding that expenses in each area were also up this year. But overall, the season went swimmingly.
“That’s great news and staff did a wonderful job,” Otley said.
The weather helped. Though last summer had a brief stretch of days over 90 degrees, it also had prolonged effects from wildfires in Canada. This summer had more steady heat, with no swimmers being turned away due to the pool reaching its maximum capacity of 750.
The requirement that all children in diapers wear reusable swim pants also helped make the season a success, Otley said.
“Poop incidents were down,” with the pool only having to be closed twice for fecal incidents, Otley added. In previous years, the facility averaged six stools in the pool. The decrease led Otley to conclude that the experiment of requiring the swim pants has been a success.
Disposable swim diapers had been required in the past, but they tended to fill up with water as soon as children entered the pool – leaving no saturation for leaks from swimmers who aren’t potty trained.
The pool provides the free reusable swim pants for parents of diapered children. The cost of the poop-trapping pants is far less than the cost of treating feces that reaches the pool water.
Treating escaped excrement varies per incident, and can take as long as 24 hours to complete. The costs for the chemicals, staff time for clean up, and lost revenue due to closure range from $750 to $3,625 per fecal incident.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board:
- Learned that Mike Przysiecki, formerly the city’s natural resources manager, has been promoted to the position of operations coordinator. “Happy for the challenge,” Przysiecki said, praising the work of park staff.
- Heard from program coordinator Ivan Kovacevic, who is interested in starting a teen volunteer program with recreation camps. A volunteer program for teens is already in place for nature camps at the parks.
- Learned from Otley that City Council heard the first reading earlier this month of a lease agreement with the Bowling Green Country Club. The agreement addresses the country club and parks working together on youth golf programs.
- Heard from fellow board member Ardy Gonyer that the Parks and Recreation Foundation’s third annual Brew Fest is scheduled for Nov. 8, at the Veterans Building in City Park.
- Approved fee waivers for the second quarter of 2024.
