Parks & Rec: Ann Arbor outdoor pools to increase capacity starting June 14
After reviewing the most recent Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Order, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s announcements, and the updated Washtenaw County Health Department Public Pool Operating Information we are pleased to announce that beginning Monday, June 14, City of Ann Arbor outdoor pools will increase capacity and no longer limit lap swimming to one person per lane. Staff are evaluating lower capacity options for immunocompromised individuals and other designated groups.
5/29/2021 – 6/13/2021: Operating under existing reservation system with existing capacity limitations in order to provide time to update staffing models and set up new operating procedures.
6/14/2021 – 6/30/2021: Increase capacity limits for lap swimming and general swim. Pool admissions will be available in two hours blocks and can be purchased on-line or at the pool the day of, if spaces are available. Fuller Pool will have up to 150 spots available per 2-hour block while Buhr Park Pool and Veterans Memorial Park Pool will have up to 90 spots available per 2 hour-block. Typically, up to 3 swimmers per lap lane will be allowed.
7/1/2021: Make operational adjustments based on updated information from regulatory agencies.
Due to staffing levels developed under previous MDHHS Orders and a historically low numbers of job applicants, hours and offerings will vary from previous years schedules. Safety of our swimmers is of the utmost importance and capacity limit and program offerings will be scaled as necessary to reflect staffing levels.
Reservation and admission systems
All three city pools will continue to use the current reservation system and maintain limited capacity through Sunday, June 13. If you would like to reserve a spot prior to June 13, please visit https://a2gov.getomnify.com/
For admissions on or after June 14, individuals are encouraged to purchase online at http://www.a2gov.org/parksregister or will be able to pay daily admissions at the pools. We will provide more details regarding this process by the end of next week, June 4.
Operational updates:
* We will not be offering season passes for the pools this season.
* Limited deck furniture will be available for use at all three pools.
* Historically at the city pools, we have required a deep end test for all children under the age of 16 in order to use the deep end. We have spent a great deal of time reviewing our deep end test policy, specifically the age requirement of 16 years. We have looked at best practices around Michigan and throughout the country. We have also looked at other city policies regarding the age of swimmers who are able to come to the pool unsupervised by an adult. Based on this, children aged 12 and older will be allowed to use the deep end without a swim test at all three pools. Unfortunately, at this time, we will not be doing deep end test for children under 12 years old, due to staffing constraints. We will continue to evaluate this and adjust if possible.
* Rentals and large group reservations are not available this season.
* Visitors will be required to wear masks inside (lobby and locker rooms), unless fully vaccinated or otherwise exempt.
* We are very excited to announce the addition of UV filters to our outdoor pool filtration systems. Several years ago, Ann Arbor saw an outbreak of cryptosporidium and many pools in our community had to close for an extended period of time. Prior to that outbreak, we had a UV filter installed at Mack Indoor Pool, which resulted in the pool only being closed for a day. Recognizing the value of having a secondary filtration system that kills all bacteria and water borne illnesses and considering the added safety that it offers our guests, we have installed the UV filters at each of our outdoor pools.
Individuals/families with current reservations:
We appreciate that you took the time and energy to reserve spots at our pools prior to the change in State of Michigan’s MDHHS order. If you have a spot reserved prior to Monday, June 14, nothing has changed, so please make sure you have paid your balance and enjoy the pool. If you need to pay for these spots, please pay online through your CivicRec account at www.a2gov.org/parksregister. If you have questions about those spots or need help paying, please contact pool staff.
If you reserved a spot for between June 14-Sept 19, city staff will be crediting all payments to individual’s CivicRec accounts for use at future events. If you prefer a refund to a credit of the unused payments, please contact pool staff. Any spots that were reserved but not paid for will be cancelled and no additional actions will be required.
