Community Corner

South Windsor Official Defends Pool Policies

Director of Parks and Recreation Ray Favreau is proud of the pool and its staff.

With another heat wave predicted for the area this week, the pool at Veterans Memorial Park is expected to draw large crowds.

Recently, a group of town residents registered complaints concerning non-residents’ use of the pools, including, among other things, overcrowding, not paying to get into the pool and other alleged indiscretions over the July 4 holiday weekend.

It’s led some to call for changes at the pool, ranging from increasing the rates on non-residents to an outright ban.

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But South Windsor Parks and Recreation Director Ray Favreau, in a telephone interview on Friday, defended the current policy and price structure at the pool.

“We always have, and always will, allow non-residents to use the pool,” said Favreau, noting that the pool was constructed with federal grant funds that were contingent on the pool remaining open to everyone. “We must open our gates to everybody.”

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In addition, Favreau said that the programming, the lifeguards and swim lessons at VMP must remain cost-neutral - meaning no tax dollars go toward operating the pool, outside of infrastructure costs. To do so, VMP must generate $250,000 per year, Favreau said.

The town can charge non-residents a premium of up to twice the amount that residents pay to access the pool, Favreau said.

But pricing - and there is an extensive fee structure depending on individual or family use, veteran status and seasonal versus day passes - is “a balancing act,” Favreau said.

Price the non-residents too high, and they won’t come to the pool, Favreau said. The revenue generated through non-residents’ fees subsidize the residents’ lower prices and keeps them reasonable, Favreau said.

In short, non-residents’ participation allows residents to participate in recreation activities.

“That’s how we survive,” said Favreau, noting that non-residents use town parks free of charge without complaint from residents. “The non-resident situation isn’t an issue.”

As such, Favreau said that he was not considering doubling the rates on non-residents at the pool.

Furthermore, Favreau said that he welcomes the out-of-town guests.

Favreau said that travel teams from other towns compete against South Windsor teams using South Windsor fields.

“It’s absurd to think that we can’t allow non-residents to participate in recreation [activities in town],” Favreau said.

Favreau noted that non-residents coming into town to take advantage of the recreational activities also helps local businesses when they stop at the grocery store, the Dairy Queen, Rita’s, Jem’s, etc.

“People see how nice South Windsor is and maybe they think they’d like to move here,” Favreau said. “There’s no downside to it.”

Favreau also addressed specific behaviors that were the subject of complaints from the July 4 weekend.

Favreau acknowledged people’s collective frustration in having so many people at the pool during that weekend, but the July 4 weekend had a heat wave, when people take advantage of cooling areas such as the Veterans Memorial Park pool and state beaches.

Favreau said that he has a highly trained, hard-working staff that does an excellent job monitoring the pool and keeping the pool and the surrounding area safe.

The pool can handle up to 1,500 people in the area, with 1,300 of those actually swimming, at any given moment in a day.

As for complaints that some people were witnessed jumping the fence without paying, Favreau said that, while some try to enter the pool area without paying, oftentimes it’s someone who has already paid, decided to go back to his or her car to get something, then not wanting to walk all the way around to the front entrance again.


When a pool staff member sees someone jump the fence without paying, that person is asked to leave.


“It’s not the Wild West,” Favreau said. “It’s not really a wholesale issue. Has it happened? Of course. Is it constant? No. When we discover an issue, we correct it.”


Using wristbands for people to wear to ensure that they have paid also creates another issue. Favreau said that the pool staff already has people use wristbands to identify non-swimmers, campers and group visitors.


The question, according to Favreau, is how many more wristbands do you want your staff to track?


Finally, the staff members at the front gate have started to ask for identification to show whether someone is from town or is a non-resident, Favreau said. Initially, there was an honor system, Favreau said.


“Now we are asking for ID,” he said.


Veterans Memorial Park pool is a “one-of-a-kind” facility, Favreau said.


“I am proud of the facility,” Favreau said. “I have no problem showcasing it to anybody.”



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