Pool Membership Rate Increase Approved By Chatham Council

CHATHAM, NJ — This season, the cost of swimming at Chatham Township's Colony Pool will be a little higher thanks to a membership fee increase that the Township Committee approved at their meeting last Tuesday.

In a 3-1 vote, the committee voted in favor of the newly established membership rates for the 2023 season, which include a price raise.

Committeeman Mark Lois, who was the sole vote against the new rates, stated that the increases did not make sense from a revenue standpoint.

Resident families will pay an additional $17 annually, compared to last year, with a new rate of $577 and individual resident members will pay an additional $8. Resident couples will pay $12 more this year, with a new rate of $417.

Non-resident families will also see a price hike. These families will pay an additional $13, with a new rate of $663. Individuals who are not Chatham Township residents will actually be paying less than last year, with the individual non-resident membership being $13 less than last year.

Non-resident couples will be seeing the largest difference, with this year's rate being $70 less expensive than last year's.

The reason for this price difference was explained by Chatham Township's Administrator Zaid Shehady.

"The non-resident memberships were all over the place. Couples were paying 35 percent more, while families were paying only 16 percent more. The percentages on the premiums for non-residents versus residents were all over the place," Shehady said.

To help combat those price differences, Shehady said the township instead chose to standardize the premium costs to 15 percent for all non-resident memberships.

"The increase across the board on average for non-residents was 19 percent, we standardized it at 15 percent and kept everything within a formula. Yeah, in some cases it was a few dollars less and in others, it was a little bit more," Shehady said.

Committeewoman Stacey Ewald expressed concern about the early bird membership discounts, claiming that the price difference was not significant enough to entice residents to purchase a membership.

Shehady stated that this year's early bird discount was presented at a 5 percent reduction from the standard membership price, but that those prices did not need to be set by the resolution.

"The early bird discount is not necessarily one that needs to be set by resolution, the ordinance that was created last year puts the discount programs within the purview of the administrator and the Colony Pool liaison," Shehady said. "I think when you gave these deeper discounts last year for early bird, I think the decrease in revenue last year is what you ended up seeing with that."

The community pool is located at 55 School Ave in Chatham Township and features approximately 30,000 square feet, or 850,000 gallons, of freshwater swimming along with over 8,300 square feet of a soft beach sand area.

Other activities such as a half-court basketball court, tether ball, ping pong, corn hole, ladder ball, and four square areas are also available for club members.

The 2023 membership rates can be seen below:

• Family Membership: $577

• Couple Membership: $417

• Individual Membership (14 years or older): $263

• Babysitter / Parent Helper: $129

• Senior Couple Membership: $134

• Senior Individual Membership: $67
• Non-Resident Family Membership: $663
• Non-Resident Couple Membership: $480
• Non-Resident Individual Membership (14 years or older): $302

• Non-Resident Babysitter / Parent Helper: $148

• Non-Resident Senior Couple Membership: $154

• Non-Resident Senior Individual Membership: $77
• Single Daily Guest – Any Age—Accompanied by Member: $11

• 20 Daily Guest Passes – Any Age—Accompanied by Member: $198