Pool Membership Fees to Increase in 2012
Paying off debt service on a bond for improvements will necessitate as much as a 30% increase for family fees.
It may cost more to stay cool at the Maplewood Community Pool this coming summer.
At the Dec. 20 Township Committee meeting, Mayor Vic DeLuca updated Committee members on a pending need for increasing pool fees by as much as 30% to pay for improvements being made this winter.
DeLuca noted that the bond counsel judged that the useful life of the more than $1 million project was 11 years, not 15, compressing the payments. The 2012 payment is projected to be about $160,000 ($30,000 in interest and $130,000 in principal).
"The Pool Advisory Committee recommends increasing the fee to cover the cost," said DeLuca. A 30% increase would bring the family fee from $315 to about $400. DeLuca said the Committee suggested that the fee increase should be less for seniors.
Since the pool — which is run as a separate authority — has excess membership capacity, DeLuca said that the Pool Advisory Committee recommended opening up membership to the five contiguous towns (Millburn, South Orange, Irvington, Union and Newark) at 150% of the fee for Maplewood residents. DeLuca said that the out-of-town membership would be capped at 100, and that Maplewood residents would always take priority.
"The idea is to see if we could create a market — a way to soften the blow to Maplewood residents," said DeLuca. In 2011, more than 2,100 families for a total of more than 7,000 individuals were members of the Maplewood Pool.
No action on the Committee's suggestions would be taken until February.
Clark Starr
12:01 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
They better open that sucker up a little earlier then.
Mary Alice Carr
12:35 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Hope some of these improvements involve the nearly unusable restrooms.
Jan
12:45 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I agree with both of the above comments. Memorial Day opening, please?!?!?!
caroline farnsworth
1:01 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
With an increase we will likely see a dropoff in members, but a Memorial day opening may make up the difference
David Gorman
1:30 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Why would any South Orange resident, with access to an essentially free municipal pool, be interested in paying a premium to join the Maplewood pool?
Wayne Sullivan
2:01 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Nobody goes to the pool anymore, -it's too crowded.
unleb
9:08 am on Friday, December 23, 2011
Ha, good one, Yogi!
LaurieT
4:54 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
it's so nice to have just the Maplewood community there, where you know most folks. I think it will take the small town feel out of it if it's opened up to neighboring towns. Bad idea!
Dana Kasen Gilbert
7:29 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wonder if more people would join if the cost was reasonable per family. South Orange and Millburn have pools of their own why would you come to Maplewood. Who is coming in from Newark, Union and Irvington that is willing to pay $600. What world is the Advisory Committee living in? My husband I grew up in town and remember when there were so many members that you could not bring guests and there was a 2 year waiting list to join.
KSSR
6:49 am on Friday, December 23, 2011
Just add this to the long list of expenses going up under democrat rule here in Maplewood. Ever wonder if there is a correlation? Tax and spend is the norm here...
Clark Starr
11:10 am on Friday, December 23, 2011
KS, if you, someone in the GOP, or anyone knows some accounting jedi-fu that could lower the expenses while maintaining the service, please articulate it for the rest of us.
KSSR
12:20 pm on Friday, December 23, 2011
Obviously I can't do that Clark without seeing the pool books. My comment was more general, in relation to everything going up in price in Maplewood because of Tax and Spend Democrats. Here's the solution, stop promising things in exchange for votes. Families live within their means, Democrat-controlled municipalities need to learn to do the same.