REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Adopt Definitions for Aquatic Facility Use Categories; Priorities of Aquatics Facility Use; and a Resolution Amending the FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara has a long-standing commitment to supporting youth organizations, including sports (e.g., Police Activities League, baseball, football, soccer, aquatics), dance, and the Special Olympics.
The City operates eleven pools across five aquatic facilities: the George F. Haines International Swim Center (ISC), Mary Gomez Swim Center (Gomez), Montague Swim Center (Montague), Warburton Swim Center (Warburton), and the Natatorium at the Senior Center. The Parks and Recreation Department utilizes these facilities to offer swim lessons, recreational swim, lap swim, and aquatic fitness programs. The pools are also available for hourly and seasonal rentals by local youth non-profit aquatic organizations.
Historically, three Santa Clara-based 501(c)(3) youth aquatic clubs have been the primary users under City permits: the Santa Clara Diving Club, the Aquamaids - Santa Clara Artistic Swimming Club, and the Santa Clara Swim Club. Together, these organizations (Clubs) provide youth competitive aquatics programs, swim instruction, and limited adult fitness offerings.
Over the years, these Clubs have entered into various agreements with the City for facility use; however, the associated fees have not been applied consistently across all sites and/or Clubs. These inconsistencies have contributed to a gap in the City’s ability to fund ongoing operating costs, labor, maintenance, and capital improvements. The existing agreements and fee structures do not align with the City Council’s adopted cost recovery model and are insufficient to meet the long-term infrastructure and community needs.
Between 2024 and present, the City Council has held multiple meetings regarding the future of the International Swim Center (ISC), including an interest in developing a new fee and operational model for all aquatic facilities that better aligns with operating costs and long-term capital replacement needs. In December 2024, staff began holding monthly in-person meetings with Club representatives to strengthen community collaboration, provide updates on ISC projects, discuss Measure I General Obligation Bond opportunities, and gather input on facility design elements.
DISCUSSION
Public swimming pools serve as more than just a place to cool off on hot summer days. Learning to swim is an important life skill, and aquatic facilities are essential for mental and physical health, and for fostering a sense of community. Through this item, the City reinforces the importance of water safety, youth athletic development, and the City’s commitment to health and wellness.
The City’s long-standing practice of subsidizing local non-profit organizations through fee waivers and below-cost facility rentals has not allowed revenues to keep pace with the operational and capital expenses required to maintain the City infrastructure, including aquatics facilities. As these facilities continue to age, the costs of operations, maintenance, and capital improvements have outgrown the City’s capacity to fund them through the General Fund. The emergency closure of the ISC in January 2024 underscored this challenge and reinforced the need to reassess how the Parks and Recreation Department and local non-profit clubs collaborate to meet community needs through programing at the City’s aquatics facilities moving forward.
The purpose of this report is to propose new Aquatics Facility User Categories, Priorities of Use, and amendments to the FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule. The proposed framework establishes clear user group categories and definitions, outlines a transparent facility allocation process between the City, the Clubs, and the public, and aligns fees with the City’s cost recovery policy and Measure I Bond requirements. Consistent application of this fee structure across all aquatic facilities and Clubs also supports more efficient and sustainable operations, maintenance, and long-term capital replacement. Furthermore, it reflects the City’s continued commitment to youth sports and recreation and mirrors the same approach used for the Youth Sports Field User Group Categories and Definitions and Fee structure adopted by City Council in March 2025.
AQUATIC USER GROUP DEFINITIONS
Resident Youth Non-Profit Organization - A “resident youth non-profit organization” is defined as an organization registered as a current 501(c)(3) IRS with State and Federal government with a Santa Clara address as its principal place of business, membership open to the public, serving youth 18 years and under, and roster(s) reflecting at least 51% Santa Clara residents.
Resident Adult Non-Profit Organization - A “resident adult non-profit organization” is defined as an organization registered as a current 501(c)(3) with State and Federal government with a Santa Clara address as its principal place of business, membership open to the public, serving adults 19 years and older, and roster(s) reflecting at least 51% Santa Clara residents.
Other Government Agency - For the purposes of this document, “other government agency” refers to any school district, military, county, state or federal government entity/organization.
Santa Clara Resident - A “resident” is defined as an individual who resides or owns property in the City of Santa Clara. Residency will be verified through a CA driver’s license, utility bill, vehicle registration, bank statement or like documentation. Residency may also be established by proof of attendance at a Santa Clara Unified School District school or a private school located within the City of Santa Clara.
Non-Resident - A “non-resident” includes any individual that does not meet the definition of “Santa Clara Resident.”
Commercial Entity - A “commercial entity” is a company or business entity hosting a recreational event or commercial activity. Facilities are not available for commercial activities unless authorized by the appropriate permit, license, or agreement with the City.
AQUATICS USER GROUP CATEGORIES AND PRIORITY
Priority User Group #1 - City Programs
City of Santa Clara scheduled programs and activities (e.g., recreation swim, lap swim, swim lessons, water exercise, competition, special event, etc.).
Priority User Group #2 - Santa Clara Resident Youth Non-Profit Organizations
Organizations serving youth aged 18 years and under, current 501(c)(3) status, and participant proof of residency requirement verified by roster(s). All non-resident youth participants are subject to a contribution toward the City’s scholarship program (currently the Wade Brummel Program or a future aquatics-specific program). Tie-breaker will be implemented to resolve competing requests.
Priority User Group #3 - Santa Clara Resident Adult Non-Profit Organizations
Santa Clara based organizations: Organizations serving adults ages 19 and up, current 501(c)(3) status, and participant proof of residency requirement verified by roster(s). There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this user group category. Tie-breaker will be implemented to resolve competing requests.
Priority User Group #4 - Other Government Agencies
Government organizations serving youth or adults: Santa Clara Unified School District, military, county, state, or federal governments. There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this user group category. Tie-breaker will be implemented to resolve competing requests.
Priority User Group #5 - Santa Clara Residents - Non-501(c)(3), Private Use
Proof of residency for individual or organization submitting application; individual submitting the application must be present during the reservation and serve as the point of contact with the City. Competing requests within this user group category are resolved/allocated on a first-come, first-served basis (date and time stamp implemented on all applications within Group #5). There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this user group category.
Priority User Group #6 - Non-Residents - Non-501(c)(3), Private Use
Individuals or organizations whose membership does not meet the minimum requirements for Groups 2 - 5. Competing requests within this user group category are resolved/allocated on a first-come, first-served basis (date and time stamp implemented on all applications within Group #6). There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this user group category.
Priority User Group #7 - Commercial Entities
Companies or business entities. Competing requests within this user group category are resolved/allocated on a first-come, first-served basis (date and time stamp implemented on all applications within Group #7). There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this user group category.
Tie-Breaker for Competing Requests - If competing use requests occur within a use category, priority will be granted to organizations according to the following metrics:
1. Organization serving 51% or more Santa Clara residents;
2. Total number of Santa Clara residents served;
3. Historical use of City of Santa Clara facilities with use and fees in good standing.
AQUATICS FACILITY PERMIT APPLICATION SCHEDULE
Applicants must submit a Facility Permit Application according to the following quarterly deadlines. The quarters outline below mirror historic use and peak club competitive seasons. Applications must include the program type, preferred and alternate locations, requested dates and times, and the number of lanes required.
|
Use Period |
Application Deadline |
|
January 1, 2026- May 31, 2026 |
November 1, 2025 |
|
June 1, 2026 - August 31, 2026 |
May 1, 2026 |
|
September 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026 |
July 1, 2026 |
|
Subsequent events in the upcoming year, January - December 2027 |
July 1, 2026 |
Staff has received the Clubs’ applications for use during the upcoming period, January 1 - May 31, 2026, and has assigned space according to their requests. If approved as submitted, the Clubs will begin paying for their permitted use of City pools effective January 1, 2026. Staff will invoice the Clubs on a monthly basis.
In the future, complete rental guidelines will be available online and provided to users with each approved permit.
AQUATICS FACILITY FEE SCHEDULE
The City’s FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule currently sets pool rental rates at $82 per hour for shared use and $289 per hour for exclusive use. These rates do not consider factors such as organization type, residency, facility size, or lane usage. As a result, the current fee structure is outdated and does not align with market rates or the true costs of operating and maintaining aquatics facilities.
Staff worked with the City’s third-party vendor, ClearSource, to evaluate operating and capital replacement costs to develop updated fees. ClearSource recommended maintaining the FY 2025/26 rates of $82 per hour (shared) and $289 per hour (exclusive), consistent with cost estimates. Staff also took into consideration, a 2019 Bay Area Pool Operators Association (BAPOA) study conducted for the City of Sunnyvale, benchmarked municipal aquatics facility rental rates across Santa Clara County including Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos/Saratoga, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, and Sunnyvale; YMCA, private facilities and non-Santa Clara County sites were excluded from this exercise. The analysis revealed wide variation in pricing structures, amenities, and fee methodologies among agencies varying from $7.83 to $12.50 per lane, per hour, with additional fees for agencies requiring renters to utilize the City’s lifeguards. A majority of the benchmarked agencies currently fall within the rates identified during the 2019 study.
Based on benchmarking data, current market rates, and the City’s aquatics inventory, staff is proposing a lane-based fee structure applicable to the Mary Gomez, Warburton, Montague, and ISC facilities, with implementation effective January 1, 2026. Under the proposed structure, each facility would have a two-hour minimum rental equivalent to its full pool lane count, except for the ISC Racing Pool, which offers two proposed options: half pool (11 lanes) or full pool (22 lanes) rental. The aquatic facility, lane count, and proposed rental guidelines are outlined in the following table:
|
Aquatic Facility |
Gomez |
ISC |
Montague |
Warburton |
|
Total Number of Lanes |
6 lanes |
Training - 6 lanes Racing - 22 lanes Dive - 7 lanes |
4 lanes |
6 lanes |
|
Proposed Rental Guidelines |
6 lanes (full) |
Training - 6 lanes (full) Racing - 11(half) or 22 (full) Dive - 7 lanes (full) |
4 lanes (full) |
6 lanes (full) |
Proposed Aquatics Facility Per-Lane Fees
Staff analysis resulted in a proposed fee structure intended to assist with cost recovery and reduce the General Fund obligation. The structure also provides user groups with predictable rental costs to support long-term planning within their business models. The table below outlines the recommended FY 2025/26 fees to be amended in the FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule, as well as the planned fees for future years that will be brought forward at a later date as part of subsequent proposed Municipal Fee Schedule updates.
|
Priority User Groups |
Proposed FY 2025/26 |
Planned FY 2026/27 |
Planned FY 2027/28 |
Planned FY 2028/29 |
|
Priority 1 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Priority 2 * |
$8/hr per lane |
$10/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Priority 3 |
$16/hr per lane |
$20/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Priority 4 |
$16/hr per lane |
$20/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Priority 5 |
$20/hr per lane |
$22/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Priority 6 |
$40/hr per lane |
$44/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Priority 7 |
$40/hr per lane |
$44/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
* Priority User Group 2 is subject to an additional per-non-resident youth fee to support the Wade Brummel Scholarship or an equivalent aquatics-specific program.
Staff reviewed the proposed categories, priorities, and fee schedules detailed in this report with Club representatives during meetings held on July 9, August 5, September 23 and November 18, 2025. The Clubs agree with the staff proposal detailed in this report. Following the completion of Phase 2 of the ISC Rehabilitation project, staff will return to the City Council with additional fee recommendations that account for new rental amenities such as storage, meeting rooms, concession stands, and office space.
The new structure will enable the City to continue partnering with the established Clubs while also exploring opportunities to expand facility use and programming while providing a sustainable community aquatics operational model.
As a condition of the low-rate general obligation bond, the City is required to establish definitions for user groups, priorities for their use and apply a transparent and comprehensive fee structure. The City's Bond Counsel is pursuing the lowest general obligation bond interest rate relative to non-profit use. This action will support the City’s interest to obtain the lowest interest rate for the bond so that City funding can be advanced for infrastructure projects identified in the bond.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION CONSIDERATION AND ACTION
On October 20, 2025, the Parks and Recreation Commission (Commission) reviewed this item and provided feedback to further define user group categories and handle competing requests within each category. A Club representative was in attendance and spoke in support of the staff recommendation with the suggested enhancements.
Staff returned to the Commission on November 10, 2025, with a revised report and received unanimous support to recommend the Definitions for Aquatic Facility Use Categories, Priorities of Aquatics Facility Use, and Amendments to the FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule.
If approved by the City Council, the Clubs will begin payments to the City according to the Amended FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule in January 2026.
WADE BRUMMEL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The Wade Brummel Scholarship Program was established in October 2015 to provide financial assistance to Santa Clara youth who wish to participate in organized sports but lack the financial means. On March 11, 2025, the City Council approved updates to the program based on input from youth sports organizations and the Parks and Recreation Commission to better meet community needs.
Organizations within Priority Use Group #2 are required to contribute to the Wade Brummel Scholarship Program or a future aquatics-specific equivalent program designated by the City.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the
California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
While the adoption of new Aquatic user categories and priorities do not impact the budget, the proposed fee changes are projected to generate additional General Fund revenue. Based on FY 2023/24 rental data, the proposed fees are estimated to generate approximately $425,000 annually, up from the total FY 2023/24 actual pool revenue of $104,585. The estimate assumes the proposed rate of $8 per hour/lane for Priority User Group #2 (Santa Clara Resident Youth Non-Profit Organization). The projected revenue is organized by Aquatic Facility. For the ISC, revenue is further broken down by individual pools. Using the parameters outlined above, the estimated revenue is summarized as follows:
|
Swimming Pool |
Estimated Hours Reserved (based on FY 2023/24) |
Minimum Number of Lanes for Rent |
Proposed Hourly Rate per Lane (Priority #2 Rate) |
Estimated Revenue |
|
ISC Dive Well |
3,347 |
7 |
$8 |
$187,432 |
|
ISC Racing Pool |
931 |
11 |
$8 |
$81,928* |
|
ISC Training Pool |
762 |
6 |
$8 |
$36,576 |
|
Mary Gomez |
348 |
6 |
$8 |
$16,704 |
|
Montague |
280 |
4 |
$8 |
$8,960 |
|
Warburton |
1,943 |
6 |
$8 |
$93,264 |
|
TOTAL |
7,611 |
|
|
$424,820 |
*Full pool rental (22 lanes) would equate to $163,856, and would bring the total revenue to $506,792
Implementation of standardized aquatic user groups and use facility fees will enhance the City’s ability to maintain and/or close the subsidy gap relative to staffing, maintenance and capital improvement expenses for the City's aquatic facilities.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Adopt Definitions for Aquatic Facility Use Categories as described in this Report;
2. Adopt Priorities of Aquatics Facility Use as described in this Report; and,
3. Adopt a resolution amending the FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule to modify the Parks and Recreation Department’s pool rental fees
Staff
Reviewed by: Carolyn McDowell, Senior Management Analyst
Approved by: Damon Sparacino, Parks and Recreation Department Director
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Resolution
2. Amended Municipal Fee Schedule