REPORT TO PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Proposed Definitions for Aquatic Facility Use Categories, Priorities of Use and a Proposed Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule and Proposed Adjustments through Fiscal Year 2028/29
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 & Recreation Department uses 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. These organizations provide youth competitive aquatics programs, swim instruction, and some 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. This has contributed to a gap between user fees and the City’s operating costs for equipment, 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 the present, the City Council has held multiple discussions regarding the future of the ISC. Councilmembers expressed interest in developing a new fee and operational model for the City’s 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
The City’s long-standing practice of subsidizing local non-profit organizations through fee waivers and below-cost facility rentals has not kept pace with the operational and capital expenses required to maintain the City’s aquatics facilities. As facility infrastructure continues to age, the costs for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements have outpaced the City’s capacity to fund them solely through the General Fund. The emergency closure of the George F. Haines International Swim Center (ISC) in January 2024 underscored this issue and reinforced the need to reassess how the Parks & Recreation Department and local non-profit clubs manage and utilize City aquatics facilities moving forward.
The purpose of this report is to describe the process staff used to research, develop, and present Aquatics Facility User Categories, Priorities of Use, and a new Municipal Fee Schedule for City Council consideration. The proposed framework establishes a fair and transparent allocation process among the City, the Clubs, and the general public, while aligning fees with the City’s cost recovery policy and Measure I Bond requirements. Consistent application of this fee structure across all aquatic facilities will also support more efficient and sustainable operations, maintenance, and long-term capital replacement.
The proposed Aquatics Facility Use Categories and Priorities of Use reflect the City’s continued commitment to youth sports and recreation. The framework mirrors the Youth Sports Field Use Fee structure adopted by City Council in March 2025, emphasizing the importance of water safety, youth athlete development, and community health and wellness.
For the purposes of aquatics facility use, a “resident” is defined as an individual who resides within the City of Santa Clara. Proof of residency may include a utility bill, vehicle registration, or bank statement. Residency may also be established by attendance at a Santa Clara Unified School District campus or a private school located within the City of Santa Clara.
AQUATICS FACILITY USE CATEGORIES & PRIORITIES OF USE
1. City Programs: City of Santa Clara scheduled programs and activities.
2. Santa Clara-Based 501(c)(3) Organizations Serving Resident Youth: Youth organizations (serving ages 18 and under) based in and serving Santa Clara residents. Proof of residency is required. Organizations may employ paid coaches and/or staff.
Priority for permits (based on participant residency, verified by current rosters):
A. Organizations with 51% or more Santa Clara residents;
B. Organizations with less than 51% Santa Clara residents;
C. Organizations renting the facility for youth competitions (e.g., local, regional, or national events)
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).
3. Santa Clara-Based 501(c)(3) Organizations Serving Resident Adults: Adult organizations (serving age 18 and over) based in and serving Santa Clara residents. Proof of residency is required. Organizations may employ paid coaches and/or staff.
Priority for permits (based on participant residency, verified by current rosters):
A. Organizations with 51% or more Santa Clara residents;
B. Organizations with less than 51% Santa Clara residents;
C. Organizations renting the facility for adult competitions (e.g., triathlons, regional or national events)
There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this category.
4. Santa Clara Resident - Private Use: Santa Clara residents or groups (e.g., homeowner associations) renting an aquatic facility for private use, such as parties or infrequent gatherings. This category is intended for personal, non-organized use.
The resident host must be present during the event and cannot reserve on behalf of a non-resident, company, or organization.
There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this category.
5. Non-Resident - Private Use - Non-501(c)3 Entity: Non-resident individuals, groups, or organizations not located in Santa Clara or not meeting the 51% resident requirement.
There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this category.
6. Commercial Entities - Non-501(c)3: For-profit businesses (e.g., corporations, LLCs) renting aquatics facilities for activities such as filming, scuba instruction, or competitive programs. Commercial sports entities may employ paid coaches and staff.
There is no requirement to contribute to the scholarship program in this category.
AQUATICS FACILITY PERMIT APPLICATION SCHEDULE
Applicants must submit a Facility Permit Application according to the following quarterly deadlines. Applications must include program type, preferred and alternate locations, and requested dates and times.
|
Deadline |
Use Period |
|
November 1, 2025 |
January 1, 2025- May 31, 2025 |
|
May 1, 2025 |
June 1, 2025 - August 1, 2025 |
|
July 1, 2025 |
September 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025 |
|
July 1, 2025 |
Subsequent events in the upcoming year, January - December 2026 |
Complete rental guidelines will be available online and provided with each approved permit.
AQUATICS FACILITY FEE SCHEDULE
The City’s FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule currently establishes pool rental rates at $82 per hour for shared use and $289 per hour for exclusive use. These rates do not account for factors such as organization type, residency, facility size, or lane usage. As a result, the existing fee structure is outdated and does not reflect current market rates or the actual cost of operating and maintaining aquatics facilities.
To develop updated fees, staff worked with the City’s third-party vendor, ClearSource, to evaluate operating and capital replacement costs. ClearSource recommended maintaining the FY 2025-26 rates of $82 per hour (shared) and $289 per hour (exclusive), consistent with cost estimates. Additionally, 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. The analysis revealed wide variation in pricing structures, amenities, and fee methodologies among agencies.
Based on benchmarking data and the City’s aquatics inventory, staff proposes a lane-based fee structure for FY 2025/26 and beyond, applicable to the Mary Gomez, Warburton, Montague, and ISC facilities. Each facility will have a minimum rental equivalent to its full pool lane count:
• Mary Gomez, 6 lanes (full pool)
• ISC
o Training pool, 6 lanes (full pool)
o Racing pool, 22 lanes (half pool - 11 lanes; full pool - 22 lanes)
o Dive well, 7-8 lanes* (full pool)
• Montague, 4 lanes (full pool)
• Warburton, 6 lanes (full pool)
*Number of lanes being determined through rehabilitation
Proposed Aquatics Facility Per-Lane Fees
|
Aquatics Facility User Categories |
FY 2025/26 |
FY 2026/27 |
FY 2027/28 |
FY 2028/29 |
|
Category 1 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Category 2 * |
$8/hr per lane |
$10/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Category 3 |
$16/hr per lane |
$20/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Category 4 |
$20/hr per lane |
$22/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Category 5 |
$40/hr per lane |
$44/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
|
Category 6 |
$40/hr per lane |
$44/hr per lane |
FY 26/27 rate, plus CPI |
FY 27/28 rate, plus CPI |
* Category 2 groups are subject to an additional per-non-resident youth fee to support the Wade Brummel Scholarship or an equivalent aquatics-specific program.
Staff reviewed these proposed categories, priorities, and fee schedules with Club representatives during meetings held on July 9, August 5, and September 23, 2025. Following completion of Phase 2 of the ISC Rehabilitation Project, staff will return to the City Council with updated fee recommendations reflecting additional amenities such as storage, meeting rooms, concession stands, and office space.
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, City Council approved updates to the program-based on input from youth sports organizations and the Parks & Recreation Commission-to better meet community needs. Beginning in FY 2026/27, the per-non-resident athlete fee will increase to $35, followed by $45 in FY 2027/28.
Organizations within Use Category 2 are required to contribute to the Wade Brummel Scholarship Program or a future aquatics-specific equivalent 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
Implementing an updated, transparent, and comprehensive fee structure-along with a clear use priority framework-will create a consistent and equitable method for allocating facility access across all aquatic sites. This approach supports the City’s cost recovery objectives and helps reduce the ongoing maintenance and capital funding gap associated with aquatics facility operations.
The new structure will enable the City to continue partnering with the established Clubs while also exploring opportunities to generate additional rental and program revenue. These adjustments will contribute to more sustainable aquatics operations and lessen reliance on the General Fund for long-term facility upkeep and improvements. Following completion of Phase 2 of the ISC Rehabilitation Project, staff will return to the City Council with updated fee recommendations reflecting additional facility amenities such as storage, meeting rooms, concession areas, and potential office space.
Utilizing a strategic approach, the City's Bond Counsel is pursuing the lowest general obligation bond interest rate relative to non-profit use. 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 a apply a transparent and comprehensive fee structure.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Parks & Recreation Commission 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
Recommend that the City Council:
1. Adopt Definitions for Aquatic Facility Use Categories;
2. Adopt Priorities of Aquatics Facility Use; and,
3. Approve Proposed Amendment to the FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee Schedule through Fiscal Year 2028/29
Staff
Prepared by: Carolyn McDowell, Senior Management Analyst
Approved by: Damon Sparacino, Parks & Recreation Director