Minor increases proposed as town looks at neighbors’ fees.
With budget season about to kick off, Lansdale officials are taking another deep dive.
Council members held talks in early September on the rates charged to use the town’s two swimming pools, and changes possible for 2025.
“We were getting a lot of complaints that our prices were really high, people couldn’t believe it was $20 for non-residents — so we are taking that feedback into consideration,” said Parks and Recreation Director Courtney Fox.
Lansdale’s pools were discussed for much of the summer, starting with a presentation in May from an outside consultant, who detailed for council the results of a study examining the short- and long-term equipment needs, aging infrastructure, and possible options for reconfiguring and revamping the borough’s complexes at Fourth Street and Whites Road parks. In that presentation, the consultant identified price tags in the millions for fixes and upgrades to each of the two parks, and Mayor Garry Herbert subsequently advocated in his Mayoral Musings column that council consider funding the major upgrades, likely by a long-term bond borrowing.
In July, the parks committee heard an update on that pool study, along with several comments from pool users questioning the town’s pool rates and fees, which spurred gripes on social media about pool membership cards and ways to access the pool without them, prompting another round of talks in August about expanded office hours and new ways to receive or replace those cards.
Once the pools closed for the season with events like a "Puppy Plunge" in late August, in the September parks and recreation committee meeting, that group took up talks on the pools again, with Fox previewing this fall's budget talks on several topics, including the pool rates proposed for 2025. As she spoke, the director showed a series of slides listing Lansdale's pool fees for 2024 for both residents and non residents, their proposed rates for 2025, and the corresponding rates for similar users at pools in nearby Upper Gwynedd, Towamencin and Hatfield — all close to each other.
"We're actually right in line: our memberships are considerably less expensive than some. We're very competitively priced," Fox said.
Puppies and their human parents took part in a 'Puppy Plunge' at Fourth Street Pool in Lansdale on Aug. 22, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Lansdale Parks and Recreation)The numbers: for a tot aged two to five, Lansdale's membership rates are $90 for residents and $120 for non-residents, proposed to stay level for 2025, and Upper Gwynedd does not charge for such a pass, but Towamencin's fee is $106 and Hatfield's is $115 for residents and $160 for nonresidents. For individuals aged six to 59, Lansdale's 2024 charges are $135 for residents and $205 for nonresidents, proposed to increase by $5 each to $140 and $210 respectively for 2025; Upper Gwynedd's charge is $165; Towamencin's is $215 and Hatfield's charges are $155 and $190 respectively.
For seniors aged 60 or over, Lansdale's 2024 charges are $60 for residents and $135 for nonresidents, proposed to increase to $65 and $140 respectively in 2025; Upper Gwynedd's charge is $80, Towamencin's is $106 and Hatfield's charges are $115 for residents and $360 for nonresidents, according to Fox. As families increase in size, the membership prices go up, with the widest variance for a household of eight or more: Lansdale's 2024 charges are $330 for residents and $470 for nonresidents, proposed to increase to $370 and $485 for 2025; Upper Gwynedd and Towamencin don't charge for that level, but their maximum fees are $540 and $630 respectively, and Hatfield charges $690 for residents and $1,455 for nonresident families of the same size.
"No increases on the daily pass, minimal increases" on other rates, said committee chair Rachael Bollens, largely to cover increasing costs for chemicals and other pool supplies: "Our fees are minimal compared to our surrounding townships and neighbors, to the tune of almost $1,000 less" for that largest size membership package.
Puppies and their human parents took part in a 'Puppy Plunge' at Fourth Street Pool in Lansdale on Aug. 22, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Lansdale Parks and Recreation)
Puppies and their human parents took part in a 'Puppy Plunge' at Fourth Street Pool in Lansdale on Aug. 22, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Lansdale Parks and Recreation)One new addition: staff are proposing that the 2025 fee schedule include a separate rate for two-person households, proposed to be $280 for residents and $420 for nonresidents; similar charges nearby are $325 in Upper Gwynedd, $410 in Towamencin and $305 for residents and $535 for nonresidents in Hatfield.
"One thing I do want to add for next year, and then we can tweak the numbers year after year, is doing a two-person household rate. Right now, it's just double the individual rate, but next year, we can look at maybe a discount for two-person households," Fox said.
Councilman BJ Breish asked if staff had considered any discounts if residents sign up for memberships early, and Fox said the department already offers a $10 discount for those who sign up for memberships by the end of April. Daily pass rates are also comparable with the neighbors, Fox said: $14 for residents or $20 for nonresidents in Lansdale, compared to $13 for residents in Upper Gwynedd, $20 in Towamencin, and $20 for residents and $30 for nonresidents in Hatfield.
Council President Mary Fuller asked if the department could offer discounts for those who turn in unused passes they already paid for, and offer a price reduction on similar passes for 2025. Fox said staff would look into ways to do so in future years, and subsequently announced those unused passes would be valid to use at either pool during opening weekend in 2025.
The end of summer pool season "happened so fast — I'm the one with leftover passes," Bollens joked, and Fox answered, "We'll figure something out."
Other changes possible for 2025 could include sensory-friendly hours early in the day for those who need special assistance to use the pools, possible evening lessons for those who can't take their kids swimming until after work, more info sent to members about do's and don'ts — like not bringing glass bottles that can break and cause closures to cleanup — and possible changes to the weekends the pools open, depending on staff availability, Fox said.
"I am excited about your changes for 2025. I like the things we talked about, and what you added. Traditionally, we have done a price increase every other year, was the tradition," Fuller said, adding that "Everything seems reasonable" in the proposed rate schedule for 2025.
Resident Rege McKenzie said he thought the public would benefit from seeing the charts of rate comparisons publicized when the 2025 rates are finalized, and Fox said the public should keep in mind that each facility is unique, with different amenities and features.
"They're very different facilities. People will say, 'Well, Hatfield has the lazy river...'" Fox said, and Fuller interjected: "Is Hatfield really worth $1,000 more? I don't mean that in a disparaging way to Hatfield at all, but in the end, it is good for people to see and know."
As for the capital projects, Fox told the committee that her budget requests for 2025 include estimated price tags for several major projects, including major repairs and reconfiguration of the Whites Road pools using the price estimate of $3.2 million presented in spring.
"Hopefully it's not that high. I just want to make sure we're covering our bases, in case there are any extraneous expenses that come up," she said.
"Especially, if we get Whites Road redone and opened, for that price, that's amazing," Fuller said.
Other possible parks projects proposed for 2025 include a revamp of the playground at Fifth Street Park, estimated at roughly $584,000 and with two grant requests currently pending that could help offset or lower that price tag, Fox told the committee. Staff have also prepared plans for a new sewer line to connect to a restroom at Whites Road with an estimated price tag of $279,000, and three path paving projects for several other parks totaling roughly $500,000, along with roughly $185,000 in equipment repairs and other smaller fixes and projects like new trash cans, interpretive signage, added security cameras and upgraded lock systems on various buildings, she said.
"Are you moving projects further down, because we're doing the pool?" Breish asked.
"Yes and no. Some things, we can't move down," Fox answered, citing the Fifth Street playground upgrades as her next-highest priority.
Other slight fee increases are proposed for 2025 for rental of the parks and rec department's activity room on Seventh Street, their Wissahickon Park building, and the pavilion at Whites Road Park, Fox said, with a new requirement that each rental last for at least three hours. Staff are also working on developing a nonprofit rate for such rentals, which would likely match the resident rate for each, she said.
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