Algonquin Increases Cost of Season Pass, Discusses Future of Swimming Pool

A season pass to Algonquin’s community swimming pool on Longwood Drive is increasing by $10, but the pool still won’t generate enough revenues for the season, leaving the village to ponder the pool’s future.

Algonquin’s village board this week received budget information for the pool. The budget is $204,300, however, the village is supplementing the budget with monies — about $78,100 — from the General Fund to cover increasing maintenance costs, said Michael Kumbera, assistant to the village manager.

The swimming pool, located at 599 Longwood Drive, features a 1-meter spring diving board, lap pool, an interactive splashpad area and pool deck with chaise lounges.

A change this summer will be the increase in the season pass, which will continue to be one of the lowest rates in the area, and the village will purchase umbrellas to provide more shaded areas, Kumbera said.

“We need to start making long term and short term plans. There needs to be some policy discussion coming up on this,” Village Manager William Ganek said.

“Every year, it’s going to get that much more serious. That percent of what the General Fund is supplementing will continue to grow,” Ganek said. “It’s an aged facility and it costs a lot.”

While Algonquin has been “holding its breath every year to get through another season, one of these years soon we will be wrong and we won’t get through another season,” Ganek said.

He added the board did not have to discuss it immediate but the pool should be on trustees’ radar.

Kumbera also gave a presentation on several other funds including water and sewer and building services funds.

The village is budgeting $6 million, with $5.8 million from water and sewer fees, he said. The water and sewer operating fund is not supplemented by other fund or tax dollars, he said. Other revenue sources are interest on cash reserves, service charges, late charges, cell tower rental fees and new meter sales, he said.

This year’s budget is an 8 percent increase over the current fiscal year and the last year of a five-year rate increase, Kumbera said.

Algonquin will likely do a new rate study to evaluate economic climate, costing centers, water demands, and long-range expenditures.