Maplewood’s Community Pool fees will decrease by roughly ten percent for the 2024 summer season, while the Pool Pals program that subsidizes memberships for lower-income residents will continue, with rates 70% lower than regular fees for those who qualify.
The Township Committee voted unanimously to approve Ordinance #3116-24 Tuesday night (see ordinance attached below).
Pool fees for the summer season have hovered near $500 for the average family in recent years. Recent efforts such as Pool Pals and Swim Lessons for All have sought to provide access — and life-saving swimming instruction — to lower-income residents.
In December of 2023, the TC discussed lowering fees to make the pool more affordable — with a future goal of reducing fees by as much as 50%.
At the December meeting, TC member Vic De Luca said, “We hope that even in future years, because of the increase in membership, that we’ll have additional fee revenue so that any allocation of tax money will either not go up as much or, if we have exploding membership, be able to maintain that level.”
“We’ve talked about this a long time,” De Luca said then, “making the pool a more open pool and making it accessible to more folks in the community. And this is how we intend to do it.”
The pool is currently undergoing some construction projects, and the township is aiming for a Father’s Day weekend opening, said TC member Deborah Engel. “If we can open earlier, we will.”
Engel discussed lowering Pool Pals fees so that participants would pay 30% of the regular fees. Residents would be asked to attest to proof of need by checking a box on the application.
The township would conduct outreach with guidance counselors and seniors, among others, “to make sure we are reaching the families and individuals who might need subsidies to join our pool,” Engel said.
