WATERVILLE — City councilors on Tuesday will consider voting to increase municipal outdoor pool fees and adopt a proposed ethics ordinance.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in council chambers at The Center downtown and will be preceded by an executive session at 6:30 p.m. to discuss labor negotiations. City Manager Michael Roy said Friday that the city is negotiating contracts with the Teamsters Union for public works employees and with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees for office workers.

Matt Skehan, director of the city’s parks and recreation department, said the last time fees for the municipal outdoor pool on North Street were increased was in 2014. Raising the rates is necessary to offset some costs, including the increase in the minimum wage which went into effect this year, according to Skehan. He said a large part of the pool budget is for lifeguards, most of whom are young people who were making $7.50 an hour and now will earn $9 an hour for working at the pool.

Daily admission to the pool would increase from $4 to $5 for adults who are city residents and $3 to $4 for children who are residents. For nonresident adults, the fee would increase from $8 to $9 and for nonresident children $5 to $6. Season passes for children and adults would increase by $5 for residents and nonresidents. In other words, a resident adult pass would increase from $25 to $30 and a resident child pass from $15 to $20. Passes for nonresident adults would increase from $50 to $55 and for children $40 to $45. Family season passes would increase by $10 from $40 to $50.

“It’s not something that we like to do, raising rates, but we feel fine about it because it’s so affordable still,” Skehan said Friday. “When I started 10 years ago, the rates were very low and we’ve incrementally raised them and we still feel OK with where we’re at now.”

The facility is more than a pool. It’s really an outdoor water park with two water slides, two kiddie pools with features such as dolphins, frogs and a spray pad, and a snack shack, according to Skehan.

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“It’s a great facility, and we’re improving it every year.”

The pool will open June 17 and operates every day, including July 4, for nine weeks, he said. In 2014, 23,000 people came through the gate, in 2015, 22,000, and in 2014 nearly 24,000, according to Skehan.

In other matters, councilors will consider taking the first of two votes needed to adopt a proposed ethics ordinance, the development of which is required by the city charter, according to Roy. He said a special committee worked for about a year with Chairman Peter Lyford on the proposal.

The proposed ordinance, or municipal code of ethics, declares that the operation of the city requires proper conduct of city officials to promote public confidence that the integrity of government is maintained, that public office not be used for personal or financial gain or advantage and that the government structure be used properly in making decisions and developing policies.

Last year, some residents complained certain elected officials had spouses who were employed by the city and should not vote on budgets pertaining to their employment. A section of the proposed ordinance regarding conflict of interest says any city official or employee who believes the official or employee or a member of the person’s immediate family has a financial or special interest in an agenda item before the body, other than the interest held by the public generally, shall publicly disclose the nature and possible extent of such interest, and the body will determine if there is an interest.

Roy said Friday that the proposed ordinance is a new ordinance and one the city has talked about developing for a long time. The city until now has been operating on a section of the city charter regarding ethical concerns.

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“This ordinance is meant to replace that section in the charter,” he said.

Councilors on Tuesday also will consider approving the demolition of a house at 232 Water St. that was donated to the city as part of efforts to help improve the South End.

“People in the South End Neighborhood Association had been talking to building owners in the South End, especially those with vacant buildings, and it just so happened this one couple donated the building to us, which on the surface seemed like a generous thing to do, but it’s just going to be too costly to renovate,” Roy said.

He added that it was determined the best thing to do is to tear the home down.

“Eventually, it will go to the Waterville Community Land Trust,” he said.

The home is on the south end of Water Street, on the east side of the street, and is located before the ball field.

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The council also will consider appointing a new member to the Kennebec Water District board of trustees to fill a vacancy created when Patricia Gorman died last month. Gorman also had been a former longtime chairman of the city’s Planning Board.

The council will consider accepting and appropriating grant funds from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation for life safety equipment for the fire department and consider supporting a resolution to support an effort about aging well Waterville.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17


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