The town’s recent six-figure donation to the Bayside Family YMCA will result in a new outdoor pool day-pass program available only to Barrington residents. 

At the March 3 meeting, Barrington Town Council members approved an agreement with YMCA officials that created the day-pass program. 

The town donated $115,035.69 in federal funding (American Rescue Plan Act) to the YMCA to make repairs to the outdoor pool, and in return residents are offered discounted outdoor pool pass rates and free use of the pool on heat index days. 

The new discounted rates are: $15 for a family; $8 for an individual; and $5 for people under 18 and over 65.

The council voted unanimously to approve the agreement. Liana Cassar made the motion, and Kerry O’Neill seconded it. Council president Braxton Cloutier and Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey met with YMCA officials multiple times to iron out the agreement. 

“We hope the outdoor pool day pass program is a win-win for the YMCA and the community and will continue beyond the term of the agreement,” Hervey wrote in a memo to the council.

The agreement is effective for a minimum of five years, although officials left open the possibility to renegotiate for an extension beyond the five-year term. 

Not everyone at the council meeting was happy about the deal. Barrington Park and Recreation Commission member Tom Rimoshytus said the pool would only be available after 3:30 p.m. during the weekdays because the YMCA has summer camps and swim lessons using the facility prior to that. He also asked if YMCA officials had solicited funding from the other communities that are part of the Bayside YMCA network. 

According to the agreement, the discounted outdoor pool day-pass program is available only to Barrington residents. 

The agreement also allows free use of the outdoor pool by residents on heat advisory days and any days that the town beach is closed by order of the state. (The YMCA maintains the discretion to restrict residents during heat advisory days and town beach closure days for cause, “including the use of the pool for previously scheduled programs, maintenance or other reasons requiring limited to no public access to the pool.”)

Council questions

During the March 3 meeting, councilors had an opportunity to discuss the deal with Bayside YMCA Director Ryan Queenan.

Councilor Jordan Jancosek asked if the discounted rates would change over time. 

Hervey said the figures were set for at least three years — the agreement includes an opportunity for the parties to renegotiate after Jan. 1, 2028 if the financial terms are “unsustainable.”

O’Neill asked if residents would need to register before participating in the discounted day-pass offer. Queenan said people would need to fill out a questionnaire, adding that the Bayside YMCA would order sex offender background checks on all people who signed up. 

Cassar asked how the negotiated program would differ from the current guest passes available at the YMCA. 

Queenan said guest passes are limited to one per year. According to the YMCA website, “Anyone who uses a guest pass must fill out an informed consent form, provide a photo ID and check in at the Welcome Center at each visit. Guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian and their parent/guardian must sign the informed consent form.”

Kate Berard asked if there was a cap — would there be a limited number of passes available. Queenan said he was not sure if there would be a cap to the program. Berard later asked if she could register her family one time and then use the guest pass system multiple times throughout the summer. The YMCA director said that approach would be fine. 

Bayside Family YMCA’s current membership rate structure includes a $97 per month fee for families, and $87 for individuals. 

Cloutier said he was looking forward to making use of the outdoor pool day-pass program. 

The agreement stipulates a commitment by the YMCA to use 100 percent of the ARPA funding to complete repairs to the Bayside YMCA outdoor pool. The timeline for the pool repairs must comply with the ARPA funding requirements; the project must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026.

In a message to the Barrington Times, Queenan wrote that securing the funding from the town was the first step in the pool renovation process.

“Of course, the big factor is funding—the town’s allocation helps a lot, but it doesn’t cover everything. That’s why we’ve launched a matching gift campaign—every donation will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $100,000, thanks to the generosity of two Bayside Y members and swim team parents,” Queenan wrote. “This could give us an extra $100,000 needed to address the pool’s structural needs. The more funds we have available, the more quickly we can get the work done.”

Queenan wrote that the YMCA’s goal is to have the resident day-pass program up and running this summer, “but that depends on how the renovations go. We’ll have a better idea once work gets underway and will keep the community updated.”

Queenan said the schedule for the resident day-pass program is still being finalized. 

He added, “we expect town residents who purchase guest passes will be able to use the pool during ‘free swim”’ blocks and other open times when there’s no scheduled programming. More information on that will come as we finalize the summer schedule.”