Q: The indoor pool hours are being changed to a schedule that does not allow swimming before work, after work, or even during lunch. The new schedule, 8-11 a.m. and Noon-4 p.m. Mon-Fri, does not fit into the majority of Hill AFB employee schedules. The old hours provided everyone the opportunity to swim at least 2 -3 times a week regardless of work schedule, due to the early hours on Mon/Wed/Fri and late hours on Tues/Thur. The pool is a heavily used facility, with lunch time being the peak usage, but now it is being closed 11 a.m.-Noon every day.
In addition, 5 of the 8 lanes are being closed Noon-4 p.m. every day for open swim. This further limits lap swim availability and will lead to overcrowding for lap swimming. The indoor pool should be dedicated for lap/fitness purposes — not for recreational use. If there is a need for recreational swimming, one of the outdoor pools should be opened.
A: Thank you for providing your feedback via the Commander’s Action Line. We appologize the hours of operation and the services that are provided at the indoor swimming pool do not meet your needs. During the consideration process of opening recreational swimming at the indoor pool, we analyzed the usage hours in an attempt to maximize overall Team Hill customer satisfaction. Additionally, we opted to retain lap swimming during the open swim times to ensure lap swimmers could continue to work out. The adjustment to this program was staffed to the Union on April 29, with the Union giving their concurrence on May 9.
Unfortunately, we are not staffed nor can we justify the significant investment to open the outdoor pool for seasonal use in the current fiscal environment. Since the indoor pool is equipped with a diving board, and has been successfully used for recreational open swimming in the past, this was considered to be the most viable solution to accommodate and maximize customer usage. We want to assure you we are continually working to improve our service.
To that end, we are optimistic that the program adjustment will increase overall usage of the pool. If additional staff can be added, we will take steps to expand our hours of operation. We are optimistic that the current pool patrons will be able to use their authorized fitness time during the new hours of operation and continue to use the pool as part of their fitness routines.
