Open less than one month, community events department snafus force rate increase at Elk Grove aquatic center

Lana Yoshimura explaining why the user fees at the recently open aquatics center in Elk Grove need to be increased. | 

Open for less than one month, the City of Elk Grove's much-hyped aquatics center has been forced to hike user fees. The increases were unanimously approved at the Wednesday, June 12 Elk Grove City Council meeting.

Explaining the need for the increase was Lana Yoshimura, the city's community event center manager. In her report, Yoshimura noted the city approved user rates when they entered into the management agreement with the Cosumnes Community Services District last summer.

After entering the agreement, the CCSD raised their fees in December 2018. Even though they raised their rates, when the events department submitted their proposal to the council in January, they had not based their recommendations on the CCSD's December rates. 

While most user rates will increase, Yoshimura noted some categories would be decreased, including seniors. Another error Yoshimura acknowledged was the failure to establish fees for the recreational pool.

"The recreational pool, which is the pool with the slide and the lazy river, we never established a fee for that, so that corrects that oversight," she said.

Yoshimura also admitted when they set fees increased minimum wages had not been taken into account.  

Councilmember Steve Detrick said he was disappointed with the rate increase given they are changing after the facility's recent grand opening.  Detrick told Yoshimura if CCSD adjusted rates in December, the council should have heard this in January.  

"It's bad timing, the image is kind of pretty poor," he added.