Revenue, Attendance Down At Prairie Grove Pool

PRAIRIE GROVE — The rainy weather and cooler temperatures this summer played havoc with year-end figures for the Prairie Grove Aquatic Center.

“We didn’t just have a bad year, we had a horrid year at the aquatic park,” said Larry Oelrich, director of administrative services and public works.

Out of 86 total pool dates this summer, the pool did not open at all on 10 days because of the weather, Oelrich said.

The pool closed early on at least 10 more days because of weather and on countless days, attendance was down because the temperature was cool or it was a hazy day.

“Overall, business was terrible,” Oelrich wrote in an email about the pool.

Records show that attendance at the pool has gone down each year since 2011. In 2011, 23,042 patrons came to the pool.

In 2012, this decreased to 22,874 and this past summer, attendance decreased again to 17,319 people.

“We had a lot of days in waiting mode,” Oelrich said. “Waiting to open and hoping to open but we didn’t open. Even on hot days, we didn’t have the crowds that we’ve had in the past. We even had people at the pool wondering what was going on.”

Revenue from admission fees, the concession stand and from program fees also fell, compared to last year, Oelrich said.

Year-end figures show that the aquatic center received $ 76,219 in admission fees this year, compared to $95,482 in 2012 and $94,152 in 2011.

Revenue from concession sales fell from $34,060 in 2012 to $25,624 this year. Fees from special programs, such as water aerobics and swim lessons, also decreased slightly, from $7,158 in 2012 to $7,021 this year.

In all, revenue was down by $27,836 this year, compared to 2012.

Rain-outs during the day are expensive, Oelrich said.

The pool gives out rain checks on days it closes early, if the patrons have been at the facility less than two hours. However, the city still has to staff the aquatic center on those days.

“It makes for a lost day and lost money for the city,” Oelrich said in an email. “We have approximately $ 150 to $ 200 per hour in wages/payroll expenses alone when we are open, so rain- outs are very expensive, especially when we open, then have to close during the day.”

Oelrich gave the pool’s summer-end report at the Aug. 19 City Council meeting. He said he wanted the council members to know that the reduced revenue would impact the city’s budget at the end of the year.

He told the council members the pool may be losing some of its appeal and that city officials may need to discuss adding new features to the aquatic center, such as a squirt park.