Committee Reduces Pool Rates for August

Chatham Township residents who are either new to town or have not yet purchased a pass for Colony Pool will now be able to buy a partial pass for the remainder of the summer.

During township committee's regular meeting Thursday night, the committee members voted to offer a reduced rate of $150 for township residents who want to purchase a pass from Aug. 13 through Labor Day.

The change was suggested by Deputy Mayor Bob Gallop, who brought it up during his report from the pool committee meeting. He said the committee recommended the partial season pass option as a way of encouraging new residents to try the pool if they moved to the township after the pool season was underway.

Gallop added that although the idea behind the program is for newcomers to be able to take advantage of the pool, the committee realizes there may well be other township residents who will wait until Aug. 13 in order to get the reduced rate.

A full-season pass for the pool and tennis is $500. A pass for just the pool is $425. The partial pass would cost $150 for a single person, a couple or a family.

Township Administrator Tom Ciccarone said he would like to see the partial pass system to be handled with the same community pass system that is used now, although it will need to be tweaked to be able to accept partial season passes.

Committee Member Bill O'Connnor said he thinks $150 is too high, but Mayor Nicole Hagner and Gallop said it's something they want to try for the remainder of this summer, and if the township decides to continue to offer it, the committee can discuss any necessary changes later.

In other business:

• Gallop reported that the pool has to become ADA compliant by next year.
• Committee members briefly discussed construction at Shunpike Field. Township attorney Carl Woodward reported that a letter has been sent to the bonding company regarding the length of time the contractor has taken on the project, which the township feels has been too long. To date, there has been no response. Committee members agreed that everything is expected to be finished by the end of August, at the latest. Fredco did not respond to Chatham Patch with requests for comments since the July 14 committee meeting.
• Hagner reported that township officials have met with Lake Road residents who have previously expressed concern that people using Shunpike Field can too easily access the lake and their private property. They have asked for a fence to be installed to help deter such actions, and Hagner said a temporary fence has been installed while the township is continuing to address the issue. She said the matter may not be brought before the committee again until the September meeting, although she will talk with the residents and see if they want to discuss it at the August meeting.
• Bob McQuillan, who lives on Dellwood Avenue, spoke during the public comment session about a drainage issue on his block in which water has sometimes been as high as six feet in his yard. Ciccarone said the township is investigating.
• Hagner reminded everyone that Aug. 2 is National Night Out.