Pool Halfway to Revenue Goal

The community pool, which the from the private Piedmont Swim Club July 1, raked in close to $200,000 from the sale of swim passes and other services through July 14.

The success of the pool in its first year under city management largely depends on the , which went on sale in early June.

The 2011-2012 city budget approved last month includes $747,140 for pool operating costs. But the , with more than half coming from pass sales.

"That number wasn’t extremely conservative and it wasn’t extremely ambitious," said Recreation Director Mark Delventhal at the Recreation Commission meeting on Wednesday night. In his report to the commission (see the PDF document to the right), Delventhal compared revenue to date against a more moderate target of $429,250 for the aquatics program.

As of July 14, the pool had brought in $178,325 from the sale of 273 annual and seasonal passes and $50,061 from group lessons, swim camps and other activities.

Recreation Commission members were impressed with the preliminary numbers presented by Delventhal Wednesday, saying it looked promising that the department would hit its revenue goal by the June 30, 2012, deadline.

“This looks really good to me,” said Commission Member Nick Levinson. “I’m surprised it looks so good.”

Sales of all annual passes to residents are already very close to hitting the moderate targets for the year—120 have been sold to families, individual adults, and seniors, compared to the goal of selling 130 to those groups. Seasonal all-access passes for families have also done well—61 have been sold, though the target was just 50.

But so far sales of seasonal family recreational swim passes to Piedmonters are noticeably short—only 46 have been sold compared to the goal of 150. The targets appear to have also overestimated the demand for seasonal passes among individual adults and seniors—only 9 have been sold, though the aim was 50.

Commission Member Stephen Mills expressed concern that some swimmers might not be willing to buy passes partway through the season.

“Did we miss an opportunity?” he said. “How many more opportunities will we have to increase [the seasonal pass sales]?”

Delventhal hoped sales would pick up again once the weather heats up in September.

The recreation director also said his department would soon be sending out a solicitation to former Piedmont Swim Club members who haven’t yet bought a pass. As an additional incentive, Delventhal said he was contemplating discounts beyond what has already been offered to old club members in good standing and to all subscribers to compensate for the shortened summer season.

Sales of passes to non-residents are so far minimal, which is not surprising considering the Recreation Department has not yet marketed the pool outside of Piedmont. Delventhal said the department would be launching a campaign soon targeting residents of surrounding Oakland neighborhoods, including Rockridge, Montclair, and Temescal.

“I think we’ll see some non-residents taking advantage of the pool,” he said.

Chairman Dick Hunt wondered if the price of general admission, which was during the conception of the pool fee schedule, had been a factor affecting pass sales. Walk-ups have been relatively brisk—in just the first two weeks under city management, general admission fees added up to $2,548, a quarter of the $10,000 goal for the whole year. 

"Maybe it is too easy to walk up and use the pool," Hunt said. "On the other hand, maybe that'll generate lots of day pass revenue. It's just going to take the season to find out." 

Delventhal predicted that the upshot would be adjustments to the fee schedule next year that could be subject to public hearings as soon as February or March.

"I think the fee schedule will look a little different next time around," he said.

Delventhal will be presenting another update on aquatics program income at the next City Council meeting on Aug. 1.