May 5, 2009 in City

Park board weighing public pool fees

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After a two-month break, the Spokane Park Board tonight will resume consideration of a proposal to charge children to swim in public pools.

The issue has caused controversy on and off for the past few decades. The city has only charged youths to swim one summer out of the nearly 100 years it’s had pools.

Park leaders have crafted a proposal that they say strikes a balance between keeping parks accessible to low-income residents and balancing the budget. Their plan would keep pools open 44 hours a week and charge kids a $2.50 entry fee during 24 of those hours.

Last year, pools were open 31 hours a week with no fees on kids.

Some neighborhood leaders say that the pools are essential to giving kids a positive activity in the summer and that many families can’t afford a fee.

The plan, they say, significantly cuts the number of hours of free swimming, making it more likely they’ll risk swimming in the Spokane River.

The board will accept testimony on the proposed fees at 6:30 tonight at City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

One comment on this story so far. Add yours!

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  SMD on May 05 at 12:08 p.m.

  I understand the need to pay for costs and upkeep at the public pools. But charging the kids more isn’t the way. Our kids keep getting the shaft lately, schools being ofrced to cut staff, and now pools are going to be too expensive. Some, if not most of Spokane youth have a hard time scraping together .50, little alone 2.50 every day to go to the pool.

  To some it is their ONLY exercise once school lets out. Obesity is enough of a problem without making it harder for the kids to get active, especially in the lower income areas.

  Spokane needs to try and find other ways to budget without shortchanging our kids. It isn’t their fault that the economy is in the shape it is.

  There HAS to be another way.