By Peter Kuebeck

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

With reading, writing and arithmetic back in full swing for BG schools, the season is over for the Bowling Green City Pool and Waterpark Complex.

Parks and Recreation Director Kristin Otley told the parks board on Tuesday that the 2024 season looks to have been a good one.

Otley told the board that “revenue was up in every category” for the complex, including season passes, daily passes, swim lessons and concessions – though expenses were also up.

“That’s great news and the staff did a wonderful job,” Otley said. “The major discipline issues were down and the ones that did crop up” were dealt with, she said.

The pool also saw an improvement in the number of fecal incidents this year, with only two occurring over the entire summer. She credited the reduction in incidents to the introduction of reusable swim pants for younger pool patrons last year, a practice continued this year.

“So, our experiment last summer was reusable rubber pants, definitely a success,” Otley said.

Otley also announced that Mike Przysiecki, who has served as natural resources coordinator for the parks, has been named operations coordinator and began in that role in July. She noted that Przysiecki had taken on maintenance supervision duties after the departure of the department’s long-serving maintenance supervisor. She also said that natural resources duties are still included in Przysiecki’s position.

“Happy to be here, happy for the challenge, the opportunity,” Przysiecki said Tuesday. “Really want to sing praises to my staff.”

In other business, the board heard from member Ardy Gonyer, who served as acting chair in place of the absent Cal Bowers, that the Parks and Recreation Foundation’s fundraiser at Culver’s in July brought in $460.

“So we were pretty happy about that,” he said. “First time we’ve done something like that.”

He also noted that the organization’s Brewfest fundraiser event will be coming up on Nov. 8.