The Bowling Green City Pool and Waterpark will open for summer fun this year.
However – at least initially – there will be some restrictions in place on how many people will be able
to use the facility.
The Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Board met Tuesday and decided that the pool season would begin by
limiting admittance to pass holders.
Speaking after the meeting, Director Kristin Otley said they intend to open the pool Memorial Day weekend
as in the past, and will then be closed during the weekdays, but open on weekends, until June 12, which
is the first day of summer break for Bowling Green City Schools.
Otley noted they hoped that the state of Ohio would be revising their Responsible Restart Guidelines
pertaining to recreation in mid-March, but learned last week there are no intentions to revise the
guidelines until coronavirus restrictions are no longer necessary.
That means, Otley said, that as the season begins, the pool will have a maximum of 50% capacity – or 375
people – at any one time. She said they gave the board two options for the initial opening of the season
– to limit attendance to residents only, or to pass holders, which she said was the department’s
recommendation. The board chose the latter option.
Otley said that option had a number of positives, including that because pass holders would be swiping in
and swiping out, they would know who is in the pool and when.
One issue, however, is the possibility of leaving residents who can’t afford a pool pass high and dry,
she said.
“Our concern is, without being able to come and do a daily admission, there are some kids with financial
hardship that wouldn’t be able to afford a pass,” she said.
Otley added that at the pool and the community center there are protocols in place to accommodate
financial hardship by offering 50% off the price of a pass.
“But, looking at that,” Otley said, “even 50% off, there are going to be some kids that that’s going to
be too much for them.”
She said that at Monday’s Parks and Recreation Foundation meeting, they asked the trustees about creating
a designated line item for donations from the community to help fund the other 50% of a pass for those
with financial hardship.
She also said that those who purchase a pass prior to the pool opening will additionally receive five
guest passes, which she said is another way to enable more children to be invited to the pool.
Otley said they anticipate being able to increase the capacity of the pool once they see how the current
maximum number of attendees are able to spread out around the facility. She noted CDC guidelines don’t
provide a hard and fast number, but state that facilities must provide enough space for people to
reasonably social distance.
Otley said that during the first weekends that the pool is open, they will be able to see how the limited
capacity plan works “and if we feel comfortable in terms of raising that … we will.”
She said they are also hearing that the state anticipates that by July, all of the restrictions will be
lifted.
The board also heard that the department’s recreational needs survey, which will inform about their
master planning process, has been distributed via mail to a random sampling of 2,500 residents. A
graduate student class led by Bowling Green State University Professor Shannon Orr will be tabulating
the results.
Further, the board heard that board member Cal Bowers will be its representative to the Parks and
Recreation levy committee. The five-year levy is up for renewal this year. Otley said that while the
committee has not yet met, they intend to meet soon, and they will look at what amount they will be
seeking for the levy.