Membership fees for the Verona Pool are rising again for the third year in a row.
As approved by the Town Council at Monday night’s meeting, the fees will go up $5 to $15 in each membership category, after rising $10 in each category last year.
For 2013, the Family membership will rise to $430 from $420, while the Family with Babysitter badge goes to $530 from $515 for 2012. The Couple membership will be $390, up from $385, and the Parent/Child membership will rise to $365 from $360. An individual membership will be $275, up from $270, and a senior membership will rise $5 to $145.
Guest fees will also be higher. The fee for adults, which was $7 on weekdays and $10 on weekends last summer, will be $10 all the time this summer. The fee for children, which had been $5 and $6, respectively, in 2012, will be a uniform $6 on all days this year.
Swim lessons will be $60 in a group of children, while individual lessons will be $20. The fee for enrolling in the Verona Waves swim team will stay at $50 per child for the first two children; if you have a third or more on the team each additional child will be $20 on top of your pool membership.
Several Council members asked how the pool was monitoring possible abuse of the babysitter badge category, which accounted for 40 badges last season. Recreation Department Director Jim Cunningham said that the babysitter badge would be a different color than other pool badges and the person wearing it could be admitted to the pool only with children.
Despite the increase, Verona’s pool rates are still below those of Cedar Grove. The 2013 resident family rate in that town will be $500 if purchased by May 1. The individual rate is $357 and the senior rate is $172 there. But unlike Verona, Cedar Grove allows non-residents to join at a far higher rate. The fee for a non-resident family is $955 and guest fees are $12 a day. Cedar Grove’s pool is smaller than Verona’s.
