Saying that Waveny Pool’s reserve fund is in good shape, parks officials are recommending only modest increases to certain fees to use the popular facility, while significantly reducing the costs for an individual pass.
The Parks & Recreation Commission voted 6-0 at its Jan. 10 meeting to hold the resident family pass rate at $455 for the season—it typically is open Memorial Day to Labor Day—while reducing the cost of an individual pass from $265 to $175.
Recreation Director Steve Benko said that last year’s price drew some criticisms from residents saying it was too high, that they “don’t go that often” or only go on weekends, “so giving that we are on sound financial footing the committee felt that they would reduce the pass to $175 for the season.”
Commissioners voting in favor of the new slate were Sally Campbell, Hank Green, Francesca Segalas, Katie Owsley, Gene Goodman and Matt Konspore. Commissioners Doug Richardson, Jason Milligan, Andy Gordon and Laura Costigan were absent.
The commission also is recommending a $25 increase for nonresident family passes, to $1,200. The town sells 100 of those per year, through a lottery that starts in March and is drawn in April. Here’s a table detailing the recommended changes, which need to be approved by the Board of Selectmen:
Proposed Waveny Pool Rates, 2018*
| 2015 rate | 2016 rate | 2017 rate | 2018 rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Pass | $425 | $450 | $455 | $455 |
| Individual Pass | $250 | $260 | $265 | $175 |
| Senior Citizen** | $70 | $70 | $75 | $80 |
| Nanny Pass*** | $125 | $125 | $130 | $130 |
| Nonresident Pass**** | $1,000 | $1,150 | $1,175 | $1,200 |
* Guest fees are $10
** Seniors here are those 62 and older
*** No guests are permitted on a Nanny Pass
****Maximum of 100 nonresident passes sold per season
Campbell said: “The good news is the pool is operating with a really nice operating surplus, which has been wonderful because the surplus goes into the reserve fund which we use to make capital improvements.”
In recent years, those have included the installation of a water heater and the re-plastering of the pool’s lining. This coming year they will include repainting locker rooms and redoing the facility’s irrigation system, among other upgrades, Campbell said.
This commission is recommending that New Canaan do away with its resident “limited use pass,” which had cost less than the full $265 individual pass—at $185 plus $10 per visit—and was designed to serve people who didn’t come as often as those committing to the full individual fee.
The town also is making its guest fee at Waveny Pool $10 per person across the board. It used to be $5 for children, but an analysis found that while 12 percent of those going to the pool were guests, the fees collected for those people amounted to just 6 percent of revenues and “we did not think our pass holders should be subsidizing our guests, so we raised the fee.”
The commission is recommending that the town introduce a new “guest fee card” this season, while will include a book of 15 guest tickets and cost $120, providing some savings.
Also new this year, nonresident family pass holders will be allowed to enter Kiwanis Park with their Waveny Pool passes.
“Attendance at Kiwanis has not been robust and it is a beautiful pond and it really is charming,” Campbell said.
(Proposed Kiwanis fees for 2018 are $15 for residents—individual or family—$75 for nonresident families, $5 guest fees and free for seniors).
The selectmen are scheduled to meet Jan. 23.