The hot, dry summer might have taken its toll on area lawns and crops, but it made for a good year at the Trenton Family Aquatic Center according to a report presented at Wednesday evening’s Trenton Park Board meeting.
TFAC Manager Alexis Whitney told the board that attendance was just short of 13,000 during the 2018 season, up from 11,600 in 2017. Receipts from the front desk and concessions were also up, with $73,000 coming in this year compared to $67,000 in 2017. The board had projected income from pool receipts and concessions to total $66,750, so the higher number was good news. Of the amount of income, $11,000 came in the form of credit cards, with Ms. Whitney noting that it has been very good to have that payment option.
Ms. Whitney reported that 96 family passes were sold for the season, with 61 single passes, 25 senior passes and 16 lap swim passes sold. Those figures were about the same as the year before. Thirty-five pool parties were held, including one large four-hour party for Smithfield and one morning party held for the Gallatin summer school students. As for safety, Ms. Whitney noted that there were 35 “saves” this year, meaning the lifeguard got off the stand and went into the water to bring a swimmer out. None resulted in CPR being administered or a backboard being used. She said the main cause of a “save” is children not realizing how deep the water is where the lily pads are. She suggested that some type of foam be placed on the basketball backboard in the three-foot water to increase safety due to children jumping off the side near that area and hitting their heads on the backboard. Two children did that this summer, with one requiring stitches.
Ms. Whitney told board members that the 2019 season will be her last as TFAC manager and encouraged them to seek a replacement that can serve as assistant manager in the upcoming season and be getting on-the-job training to take over as manager in the summer of 2020.
In another issue involving the aquatic center, Park Superintendent Jason Shuler said the floatable lily pads have been shipped to Florida, where they will be refurbished and placed back at the pool next summer. Both Shuler and Ms. Whitney noted that the floatables in the zero-entry pool are in their last stages of use and will not likely be repaired when they can no longer be utilized.
Board members heard updates on several projects from Shuler, who said the bathroom renovation project at Burleigh Grimes Field is progressing, with the facility gutted and painted. Plastic stall dividers will be used and Shuler said he is waiting on the metal now for the frames on the dividers. Second Ward City Councilman Brad Chumbley, who serves as a liaison to the board, asked if North Central Missouri College, which uses the field for baseball games, has contributed to the bathroom renovation project. Board President Duane Helmandollar said the bathroom facility belongs to the park system and that NCMC “pays their share” for use of Grimes Field.
Shuler’s update on the tree plan at Moberly and Eastside parks indicated that both plans have been completed and 95 trees have been planted, including 57 planted this fall. The estimate for the plan, which was developed with the assistance of the Missouri Department of Conservation, was $19,000, but actually cost the park department about $4,000. The park department utilized a tree nursery, which still has about 20 trees in it. Helmandollar said many entities struggle to complete a plan and to plant 95 trees was quite an undertaking for the department. Board member Gary Schuett, who has been instrumental in executing the plan, commended Shuler and his staff and said the project will be great for generations to come.
In other news, Shuler told the board the new playground equipment for Moberly Park should arrive in mid-November and he hopes to have it installed this fall. He also updated the board on routine maintenance and seasonal projects and Helmandollar told board members that he will be looking at grants that will be available after the first of the year to help construct a pickleball court.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at city hall.
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