Community Update - Menlo Swim & Sport

Community Update – October 8, 2025

Menlo Swim and Sport would like to extend heartfelt gratitude towards the passionate Menlo Park Aquatics Community, the Menlo Park City Staff and the Menlo Park City Council for months of intense engagement and collaboration in arriving at an aquatics operating model that is in the best interest of the residents of Menlo Park.

It is with great pleasure that we are able to share some wonderful aquatic developments.

Belle Haven Pool will remain open for service a full 63 hours per week year round.
Burgess Pool will return to full-uninterrupted service of 93 open hours per week beginning as soon as possible.

Menlo Swim and Sport is now focused on rebuilding its staffing infrastructure to support the expanding operation hours. We have embraced the challenge and look forward to continuing our service to the aquatics community.

Respectfully,
-Menlo Swim & Sport Staff

Community Update – Looking Ahead Together

We feel incredibly lucky to be part of the Menlo Park community. For nearly two decades, Menlo Swim & Sport has had the privilege of providing safe, welcoming, and enriching aquatic programs for people of all ages. We are just as committed to that mission today as ever.

As we look to the future, we’re actively working with the City of Menlo Park to strengthen our partnership and lay the foundation for a more sustainable, collaborative path forward. Our shared goal is to ensure that both Burgess and Belle Haven Pools continue to serve the diverse needs of our community for years to come.

We’re encouraged by the opportunity to participate in a City Council Study Session on Tuesday, September 9, where we hope to work together with City leaders to develop a clear and stable plan. Through this process, we aim to build a stronger working relationship, built on open communication, shared goals, and a deep commitment to the residents of Menlo Park.

If you feel inclined, reach out to your City Councilmember and share your thoughts on the value of aquatics in our community. Your voice makes a difference.

Thank you for being such a vital part of our community. Your support, feedback, and shared love for these pools inspire us every day. We look forward to continuing to serve you and growing stronger together.

With appreciation,

The Menlo Swim & Sport Team

Community Update – Aquatics Pricing Update – Non-Resident Pricing Increases

Thank you for being such an important part of Menlo Swim & Sport. We’re grateful for your support and want to share an update about upcoming pricing changes.

Beginning September 10th, non-resident pricing will increase to a 35% difference from resident rates to align with other City of Menlo Park programming (please note this does not mean prices are going up by 35%). At the same time, some resident prices will decrease slightly.

This step is part of a plan to balance rising costs with budgetary constraints in order to one day in the future be able to build back to the pool hours you expect. It won’t solve everything, but it’s an important move toward stability and sustainability.

We know these changes affect you, and we truly appreciate your understanding as we work hard to keep Burgess and Belle Haven pools vibrant, welcoming, and accessible.

Thank you for swimming with us, for supporting our staff, and for being part of this amazing community.

With gratitude,
The Menlo Swim & Sport Team

*No changes to Hyperlocal pricing

Community Update – Burgess Pool Schedule Changes – Fall 2025

Thank you for your ongoing support of Menlo Swim and Sport and our shared mission to make aquatics accessible, safe and fun for everyone in Menlo Park. We are reaching out today to share some important updates about upcoming changes to our pool schedules.

Over the past year, we’ve marked some major milestones – we’ve expanded programs for youth and adults alike and welcomed many new swimmers to both pool locations. While we’re proud of this progress, we’ve also encountered budgetary challenges in the process.

Our Goals and Priorities

We’ve worked hard to explore solutions that support community access and operational sustainability.

To continue offering high-quality programming while managing resources responsibly, we will be adjusting pool hours after the summer session ends on August 17th.

We want to assure you that lap swim, open swim, swim lessons, water exercise and all of our other incredible programming and opportunities will remain available—though specific times or locations may shift.

Our goal is to be transparent, thoughtful, and community-focused in these adjustments. Full details of the updated schedules beginning August 18th are below.

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We remain deeply committed to Menlo Park and the thousands of swimmers, families, and staff who make our pools special.

Thank you for being part of this vibrant community. We’re proud to serve you.

With appreciation,

The Menlo Swim & Sport Team

Burgess Fall Pool Schedules

Daily Breakdown of Summer Schedule: June 9 – August 1
Daily Breakdown of Summer Schedule: August 2 – August 10
Daily Breakdown of Summer Schedule: August 11 – August 17
Daily Breakdown of Summer Schedule: August 18 – August 24
Daily Breakdown of Summer Schedule: August 25 – August 31
Daily Breakdown of Fall Schedule: September 1 – Ongoing

Menlo Park Aquatics: What’s Happening with Our Pools?

– Menlo Park pools are operated by Menlo Swim & Sport: A 20-year community partnership

Background

Menlo Swim and Sport (MSS), operated by Team Sheeper, has served the Menlo Park community since 2006 managing Burgess Pool, and beginning in 2011, Belle Haven Pool. In 2023, anticipating the reopening of the new aquatic facility at Belle Haven, MSS entered a new five-year agreement with the City to run both pools year-round.

The Challenge

Empty Facility: Opened May 2024 after major renovations, Belle Haven Pool averages fewer than 4 swimmers per hour of operation, yet MSS is must staff 63 open hours per week year-round.
High Costs: Staffing, safety compliance, and utilities are fixed costs—whether there are 60 swimmers per hour or 4.
Mounting Losses: MSS lost $65K in 2024 and has a 2025 loss of $210K (through May 31).
Burgess Pool Can’t Fully Offset Costs of Belle Haven: Reduced 2025 revenue for historically popular programs at Burgess—likely connected to economic uncertainty—has compromised the ability to subsidize Belle Haven operations for the minimum 63 hours per week year-round.

What We’ve Previously Proposed to the City

To stabilize our company and continue serving the community, in collaboration with City staff and the Parks & Rec Commission, MSS has already proposed the following to City Council:

✅ Raise non-resident user fees (approved)

❌ Raise resident fees & group lane rental fees (denied)

❌ Extend the suspension of the City’s revenue share through the end of 2025 (denied)

❌ Seasonally adjust open hours at Belle Haven Pool to match demand (denied)

The City’s Suggestions

Hang banners with pool hours
Increase local neighborhood outreach
Raise non-resident fees further

These suggestions, while well-intentioned and can certainly be acted upon, will neither materially reduce costs, nor quickly raise revenue, leaving the core financial issue of sustainability unresolved.

Our Next Proposal to the City

We’re committed to serving the Menlo Park aquatics community—that’s at the heart of what we do. We’re working on a new proposal for the City that we hope will address concerns about access and affordability, while also helping Menlo Swim and Sport keep both pool facilities running smoothly.

We’re asking the City to subsidize two specific programs at Belle Haven Pool:

Allow us to adjust pool hours to better match current community demand—63+ hours per week during the summer, and 54 hours per week the rest of the year.
Provide free open swim and free lap swim year-round for hyperlocal residents at the Belle Haven pool.

We’re excited about these ideas and believe they reflect what matters most to the Belle Haven community and the City Council. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss them with the City and community.

What’s at Risk if No Action is Taken?

Service Cuts: To help stem losses, MSS briefly reduced Burgess Pool hours from late May until the start of the summer session. Without concessions from the City, after the 2025 summer session ends, MSS will need to return to reduced hours at Burgess to manage costs – dropping from 93 hours/week to the contractual minimum of 63 hours/week at both pools.
Staff Impact: Over 300 employees, many local—including more than 100 seasonal hires from Menlo-Atherton High—could be affected.
Long-Term Partnership: Continued losses may force MSS to exit before the 2028 contract end date.

For further data and details about Menlo Park’ current aquatics operations, we invite you to review our 2024 annual report to the City. (See the summary on pages 3-7.)

What We’re Asking From You

🔹 Advocate: Contact Council members Taylor, Nash, Wise and voice support for sustainable pool operations.

🔹 Support: Share feedback with the City in public comment at City meetings – Parks and Recreation Commission meetings (June 25) and City Council meetings (June 10 & 24, July 8).

🔹 Engage: Join fellow aquatics community members to create solutions and take action to help resolve the current aquatics challenges (email mpaquatics2025@gmail.com to join!)

Let’s protect Menlo Park’s aquatics legacy—together.

Community Update – Burgess Pool Schedule Changes

To help improve efficiency, Menlo Swim and Sport will be making a few small changes to the Burgess Pool schedule starting Wednesday, May 21 through Thursday, June 5, 2025.

What’s Changing:

The pool will close at 7:00 PM Monday through Friday.
The pool will open at 7:00 AM on Sundays.
There will be a full facility closure from 1:00–3:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

Summer Schedule:
From Friday, June 6 to Friday, August 15, Burgess Pool will remain open from 1:00–3:00 PM. The other schedule changes will stay in effect.

Community Message: A Movement Begins

Thank you for taking a step toward staying informed and engaging with your Menlo Park Aquatic Community.

A Quick History

Menlo Park is home to two wonderful aquatic facilities:

Burgess Pool, with a long legacy of high community use.
Belle Haven Pool, magnificently renovated and full of promise, working to grow from a committed yet small following.

This year marks 20 years of Menlo Swim and Sport operating aquatics for the City of Menlo Park. As a private company partnering with the City, we’ve worked hard to provide high-quality, diverse, and accessible aquatic programs for everyone—while also helping City taxpayers save significantly on operational costs.

The City’s Goal

With the opening in May 2024 of the Belle Haven facility, the City’s aspiration is simple: Keep Belle Haven Pool open as much as possible so community members can benefit from it at their convenience.

The Core Challenge

Opening any city pool requires a minimum number of trained staff to comply with local and national safety standards. These standards help avoid mishaps with grave consequences. The staffing levels are the same whether there are 60 swimmers or just 4.

During its first year of operation, Belle Haven Pool has averaged fewer than 4 swimmers per hour for much of the day. That low usage, combined with high operating costs, has made sustaining 60+ open hours at Belle Haven a challenge.

What We’ve Been Doing

For the past 8 months, Menlo Swim and Sport has been in active talks with the City to:

Revisit the City’s expectations for Belle Haven.
Work out interim adaptions to help us regain stability after our major investment in startup operations.
Continue serving the whole Menlo Park community long-term.

Where Things Stand

The City values our pool operations to-date yet believes no changes to their goals nor other involvement from them are needed to help weather the current challenge. That puts us in a tough spot to look for more ways to remain a viable operation.

What We Need

Patience
We ask for patience from our loyal pool patrons as we navigate the rough waters ahead.

Since May 2024, we’ve been operating two pools with revenue mostly from one. And it has not been quite enough to cover expenses. This year, we are also seeing a decrease in demand for our core programs from past years, likely a result of more judicious family spending due to the economic uncertainty affecting everyone.

To stabilize, we must first stem the losses by reducing costs—starting with adjustments like shortened hours at Burgess Pool and other changes so we can operate more efficiently. These changes are difficult but necessary, and we hope they will be temporary.

People Coming Together
We need your help! As a resident of Menlo Park, these premier aquatics facilities belong to you, the community. You have entrusted the stewardship of these facilities to the City and to us. If you believe we’re collectively serving Menlo Park fairly and effectively, we invite you to get involved. We need good, old-fashioned community engagement to help guide what is happening at the community pools.

One way to begin is to attend the Aquatics Working Group meeting, Tuesday, May 20th at 6 PM, Belle Haven Community Center – Register Now!

We want all pools in Menlo Park to be welcoming and rewarding. Let’s build a stronger, more connected aquatic community—together.

Voices
We need a range of voices—people of all ages, backgrounds, and aquatic interests—to speak honestly and meaningfully about what matters to them at our pools.

We need these voices to advocate to City leaders and help shape a future that reflects our aquatic community’s diverse needs and values.

If you are an incorporated Menlo Park resident, and would like to lend your voice to caring for the legacy of Menlo Park aquatics, please email mpaquatics2025@gmail.com, with your name and contact info.

A Personal Note

My goal is to ensure that Menlo Park’s aquatics legacy continues for generations, whether Menlo Swim and Sport is part of it or not. I know the importance of swimming/aquatics in people’s lives. It has saved mine.

With the support of our diverse and passionate aquatics community, I am confident that we will find our way to a sustainable and vibrant future for Menlo Park aquatics.

-Tim Sheeper, CEO of Team Sheeper & Menlo Swim & Sport

Stay Informed!

Sign up for our mailing list to get all the updates on pool closures, air quality updates, new programs and seasonal changes! You can sign up here!

🔹 Support: Continue to swim at our pools!

🔹 Advocate: Contact Council members Taylor, Nash, Wise and voice support for sustainable pool operations.

🔹 Engage: Join fellow aquatics community members to create solutions and take action to help resolve the current aquatics challenges (email mpaquatics2025@gmail.com to join!)