Boulder City pool cuts hours to save money

By Jean Reid Norman

Thursday, July 30, 2009 | 4 a.m.

Boulder City residents who want to take a Friday morning dip or an early Saturday swim at the municipal pool are will have to keep a closer eye on the clock.

As part of cuts the city made to balance this year’s budget, the swimming programs lost $8,000, Aquatics Coordinator Sheri O’Berto told the Park and Recreation Commission on Wednesday.

To save money, the pool hours are being changed slightly. On Friday mornings, the adult lap swim that begins at 7 a.m. now ends at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m., she said. Saturday hours, which used to consist of the early swim from 7 to 9 a.m. and afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m., will be combined from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., a savings of one hour for the city.

The Parks and Recreation Department also is feeling the budget cuts in the preparation of its quarterly catalog of classes, Recreation Coordinator Patty Sullivan told the board.

The brochure has been reduced from quarterly to three times a year, she said, and it no longer will be mailed to every household.

“We don’t have the means to print 7,000-plus copies,” she said.

However, Konica, a copier company, volunteered to print 5,200 copies for free for the city. Sullivan said she plans to have half done now and the other half for the next brochure, to make best use of the offer.

The brochures will be distributed at Parks and Recreation locations, the Chamber of Commerce and Senior Center and will be sent home with children at Martha P. King and Andrew Mitchell elementary schools, she said.

CORRECTION: This story was clarified with the pool's updated hours. | (August 3, 2009)