The Columbia Association offers 23 pools for prime summertime socialization, but non-Columbia residents can find a better price at the Roger Carter Center.
Visiting the association?s pools costs a Columbia family about $100 per summer month, but anyone living outside Columbia must pay more than $200. No individual day pass is available.
The county-owned Roger Carter Center in Ellicott City offers a day pass to its pool for $4 to $5 a day, and a family pays about $140 per summer month. Despite the association?s higher price, residents in and out of Columbia have been signing up for the association?s pools in droves.
“Since school has let out, we have been swamped with lots of people coming in for pool memberships,” said Karen Hawkins, spokeswoman for the association.
The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks and Columbia Association offer programs to include lower-income families.
Those who fall under the Department of Housing and Urban Development?s low-income requirements can receive a 75 percent discount at Columbia Association pools. The requirements vary according to family size, but a four-member family qualifies as low income if it makes below $39,600 per year.
“I think it?s a terrific value,” said John Herdson, aquatics director of the association.
Also, students, who fall within the low-income range, can receive a free pool pass if they work a certain number of hours for the Columbia Association. Howard County offers a free summer-long pool pass to any student who participates in the Howard County Homework Club, an educational after-school program.
Pools are expensive for both governing bodies to fund -? a pool cover costs $20,000 and replastering costs $100,000, saidArthur Downing, facility coordinator for the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks.
The Roger Carter Center “hasn?t made money since it has been open. It?s a big expense,” Downing said.
