Wildfire smoke, electrical problems hinder Spokane County aquatics season

This summer’s extreme wildfire season is being blamed for lost recreation money statewide, including at Spokane County swimming and camping attractions.

“Nobody really wanted to go out in the smoky weather,” Bridgett Merkel, Spokane County Parks recreation coordinator, said in a presentation to Spokane County Commissioners last week.

Hazy conditions that caused air quality warnings in August hit admission numbers at Liberty Lake Regional Park particularly hard, partially causing the sprawling recreation area to lose money for the first time in more than five years. Park staff also blame the closure of more than half the recreational vehicle stalls at Liberty Lake for a slowdown in admissions.

An electrical issue stemming from normal wear and tear caused the RV closure, Merkel said. But it also gave staff the opportunity to upgrade those stalls to a greater electrical capacity, boosting plug-ins to 50 amps from their previous 30-amp limit.

“It was kind of a blessing in disguise, because we were able to get in there and make upgrades,” Merkel said.

Still, Liberty Lake – which has historically been the only profitable Spokane County aquatics attraction – lost $25,199 this year. The Northside and Southside aquatics centers, by comparison, lost $99,235 and $105,246, respectively.

But Parks staff say there was much to be encouraged about by this year’s numbers. Cost-cutting strategies in concessions and labor meant the county recouped 63.3 percent of its cost on aquatics offerings, improving over last year’s 62 percent. Overall attendance was up 5 percent from 2014, despite an increase in the price of admission.

Doug Chase, the county’s Parks Department director, said he was particularly encouraged by the public’s response to a rate hike.

“If it were not for that, we definitely would have had significantly less in cost recovery,” Chase said. “I think folks were understanding of the increase, and it was the right amount. It was not overwhelming.”

This year’s rate hike was the first time admission had been raised in four years, Chase said. Admission for toddlers increased from $2 to $2.50, and for all others from $4 to $5.

Staff were also encouraged by increased interest in swimming lessons, though the weather may also have affected attendance at the pools’ “Swim and a Movie” series that showed family-friendly films after dark.

“Aug. 8 was our big ‘Swim and a Movie’ event, we had over 250 people between both sites,” Merkel said. “Even with the smoky whether, everyone wanted to go see ‘Planes: Fire and Rescue,’ maybe due to the smoky weather.”

Commissioners Todd Mielke and Al French encouraged staff to look at ways to keep costs in check, especially with the rising labor costs brought on by the minimum wage hike. French also suggested park staff look for more partnerships to build additional cabins at Liberty Lake, which have remained a popular attraction since they were introduced last summer.

Merkel said there have been no discussions about any rate increases next summer.