Public swimming programs will return to the Christopher High School pool in the summer, two years after they were canceled due to pandemic restrictions.
The Gilroy City Council on Feb. 7 approved a two-year, $358,750 contract with San Diego-based Swimming Swan LLC to operate the aquatics center for the public.
Recreation Manager Adam Henig said in non-pandemic years, the summer program at Christopher High School typically attracted 1,000 youth for swim lessons and more than 10,000 people for recreational swimming annually.
But the program has been on a hiatus since 2020. In mid-2021, the city issued a request for proposals from vendors to operate the pool.
Of the three companies that submitted proposals, only Swimming Swan met the minimum qualifications, according to Henig.
Swimming Swan, which was founded in 2014, offers swimming lessons and lifeguard training at various homeowners associations and hotels in California and Nevada.
Recreation and lap swim is expected to begin in June and run through October, with Gilroy resident admission at $8 on weekdays and $10 on weekends.
A series of eight, 30-minute swimming lessons are proposed to cost $110, with scholarships and reduced rates available for income-eligible families.
Swimming Swan President Melissa Swanson said the company plans to bring a variety of adaptive aquatics, fitness, safety training and other programs to the center.
“We are very excited about opening this pool,” she said.
Per the agreement, Swimming Swan will be in charge of hiring and training lifeguards and other staff, while the city will be responsible for pool maintenance and utilities.
Henig said having an outside operator will save the city money, as operating an in-house aquatics program costs nearly $403,000 for one summer.
