We’re Getting Ready

June 25, 2020

We are busy preparing for a great summer at the Hazlet Township Swim & Tennis Club with our new partner, Camp Coconuts. The pools are being filled and the grass is trimmed. Both the swim club and Veterans Park look great and we look forward to welcoming you back!

As we continue to prepare, here is some information we can share at this time.

Daily Operation
There will be no changes to the daily hour of operation for Hazlet Swim & Tennis Club members;  the hours remain 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. We will continue to share the facility with campers, just as we have for many years. When Camp Coconuts is in session, the children will be spread out throughout Veterans Park and the Swim Club, involved in different activities.
This year we must comply with CDC guidelines in light of COVID-19. The Swim Club will have specifically designated areas for camp, and campers will be separated into small, controlled groups for social distancing. The Olympic pool will be segmented lengthwise, with campers to one side and members on the other. When camp is not in session, the facility will be open to the members, just as in the past.

 The Swim club facility will have specifically designated camp areas with controlled group segregation therein, open shared spaces, common multi-use areas and “Member Only” areas. The pool slide, rock wall and diving boards will be open, subject to typical closures, reserved group usage and limits to capacity – just as before.

Reduced Capacity
Current guidelines under the Governor’s Order call for controlling capacity. Fortunately for us, Hazlet Swim & Tennis Club is a large facility. With the memberships we have received to date, and under normal club usage, we do not think this will be a problem. Going forward, we will offer weekend memberships only. Though paid members may bring guests, we recognize it could create capacity issues and will be closely monitoring this benefit to see if adjustments need to be made and ask all to think of their fellow members under these abnormal times when inviting guests.

Refunds / Credit
With the season shortened by COVID-19, the Hazlet Township Committee is discussing 2020 swim club membership fees paid to date. Paid members will be advised of any decisions. Anyone seeking a full refund will be accommodated.

Membership Drive
Unfortunately, the extended campaign to collect enough memberships by June 19 to operate the club did not bring in enough memberships to produce needed revenue. But thankfully, we were approached by Camp Coconuts at the last minute to discuss a partnership, and this newly forged alliance actually rescued the 2020 Swim Club season.

Camp
We regret we cannot offer our traditional Hazlet Summer Camp through Hazlet Recreation. Last year we had 335 campers, but due to the COVID-19 situation we had only received 33 registrations for the 2020 season. Like many other municipalities, we made an early decision to suspend summer camp to allow families to make other arrangements.

We are pleased Camp Coconuts is offering Hazlet children a discounted rate to run their camp in Hazlet Township, which will soon be announced when all is finalized.

To clear up any confusion, Camp Coconuts is not a Middletown Township municipal operation. Camp Coconuts is a private business, which operated out of the older Middletown Swim club, which is also a private owned business. Please direct any questions about Camp Coconuts fees, registrations and programs directly to them.

Employment
Anyone looking for seasonal work is invited to apply to the Township or Camp Coconuts.

Previous Posts

SWIM CLUB WILL REOPEN, SUMMER CAMP TO START

June 23, 2020

Hazlet Township is pleased to announce the return of summer camp and the reopening of the Hazlet Swim & Tennis Club, thanks to an exciting new partnership forged over the past few days with Camp Coconuts.

The new alliance means that a fun-packed summer camp with swimming lessons will be offered starting July 6. Hazlet kids will be offered a reduced rate.

Those who have already signed up for the Hazlet Swim & Tennis Club can look forward to summer at the pool, starting July 10.

“This is a win-win for both Hazlet Township and Camp Coconuts,” said Hazlet Mayor Michael Glackin. “Camp Coconuts is an experienced summer camp operator with an established staff dedicated to giving kids the quintessential summer experience.” Camp Coconuts is prepared to run a summer day camp under the CDC guidelines for COVID-19, he added.

Information about camp signups and for swim club members will be formally released in coming days.

Swim Club Extended Membership Campaign announced

June 11, 2020

The Hazlet Township Committee is re-evaluating the possibility of opening up the Hazlet Swim and Tennis Club for the 2020 season.

As you may be aware, the club is sustained entirely by the revenues generated by the Swim Club. This means memberships. In order for the pool club to operate, we need enough memberships to generate enough revenues to operate the club. That is why we are reaching out to potential members, those who have signed up this year or in years past to see if you would sign up for the 2020 season.

If enough memberships can be obtained by the end of June 19, the pool may be opened in the near future. A potential opening date cannot be determined at this time as staffing and preparations would need to be put in place.

The membership fees have been frozen at the early bird rates announced earlier this year. The membership fees would need to be paid by June 19. I know it is a lot to ask. However, the club cannot operate without the revenue. If the pool club were to remain closed, all checks would be returned and payments refunded.

The State Health Department has released guidelines for safe operation of our Swim Club. These guidelines are a bit tedious and will limit pool access and add cost to operate, but they are for our safety. Please consider them before you commit to a potential membership

• Occupancy is restricted to 50%
• Number of persons in the pool may be restricted
• No chairs will be provided.
• Each person entering will have their temperature take before entry
• The playground, zip line, and rock wall will be closed, as per state orders.
• Face coverings, for people of certain ages, will be required when social distancing is not a possibility.

There are other restrictions in the guidelines that will need to be followed. These restrictions may be modified or removed by the State in the future.

Please review the membership rates.

• Rates for Hazlet Resident (PDF)
• Rates for Non-Residents (PDF)

For those interested in signing up, there are options to pay by check or credit card before June 19.

To apply for membership and pay by check. You will input your information, print out the form (3 pages), sign the form and attach your check. You can place the completed application and payment in the drop box at Town Hall (next to the flagpoles) or send by postal mail as soon as possible to the Hazlet Recreation, 1766 Union Ave., Hazlet, NJ 07730

To apply for membership and pay by credit card. (Note, you will need to create an account, upload proof of address, and there is a small convenience fee for credit card processing.)

The swim club will only be opened if we have achieved the appropriate financial levels and can meet the state guidelines for public safety.

Thank you for your cooperation. If you have further questions, you may contact Hazlet Recreation.

Mayor Mike Glackin,
Hazlet Township

Swim Club Closure

June 3, 2020

Letter from Mayor Mike Glackin

Dear Residents,
It is with great disappointment that I must announce the cancelation of the 2020 Hazlet Pool Club season and Hazlet Recreation Summer Camp program.

For many weeks we have paid close attention to the evolving COVID-19 health situation. As we waited – and continue to wait – on official guidance from the Governor and the State regarding pool clubs, we planned and prepped our popular club for a delayed opening for members and campers.

Unfortunately without guidance and after careful consideration regarding the health and safety of the children, the members, the swim team and our seasonal employees, the Township Committee agreed last night that it will not be possible to save the 2020 season. In addition to the health crisis, we also had to consider the challenge of collecting sufficient revenue to run the self-sustaining pool club once an opening is approved. 

Refunds will be available and processed in the near future.

While we are saddened by the cancelations, we want you to know we will take this opportunity to explore plans for improvements to both the Swim Club and the Cullen Center that will benefit Hazlet residents of all ages. Improvements will include a focus on public safety. We plan to seek every grant and or outside funding opportunity available to us for the benefit of our residents.

We know these are difficult times, but we can imagine a better day ahead. We want to be ready for it. 

Feel free to reach out to me or the Township Committee. We welcome your feedback.

Sincerely,
Mayor Mike Glackin

HOW THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CANCEL SWIM CLUB, SUMMER CAMP SEASON

June 3, 2020

Dear Residents,

As a follow up to the Township’s announcement, I would to like to share some background about the difficult decision to close the Hazlet Swim Club and Hazlet Recreation Summer Camp for the 2020 season – a decision that none of us on the Township Committee took lightly.

Currently, under the Governor’s Executive Orders, municipal swim clubs are not allowed to operate.

Our Hazlet Swim Club was originally scheduled to open up on May 23rd, Memorial Day weekend. The process to open and operate our swim club starts well before that. Budgets are prepared, data is analyzed, fee and salary ordinances are reviewed, job applications are processed and many other administrative requirements are performed over the winter and the spring. In March, when COVID-19 hit the East Coast, our Recreation Department continued to prepare for the 2020 season. Spring arrived, and New Jersey was in the middle of the pandemic and statewide lockdown, but the swim club was still being prepped in anticipation conditions would allow us to return to our normal routine.

During this time, I was in nearly daily contact with the Governor’s office for many things, including discussions about municipal swim clubs. For several weeks, I have been told that new Executive Orders to authorize municipal swim clubs to operate at a future date would be given, as well as operational guidance. These are tough decisions that impact the entire state. To date, no new order has been made. We need several weeks to assemble a staff to service the swim club. This does not include any specific preparation that would have to be made to meet state guidelines for safety. The opening had already been postponed from Memorial Day weekend to June 27th as we continued to wait for new orders and sign up club members. On Friday May 30th, the Governor said that no decision on municipal swim clubs will be coming in the immediate future. See article.

The Hazlet Swim Club is a municipal utility, which means that the swim club is funded by the fees generated by its operations. However, any revenue shortages are the responsibility of municipality. So, if there are not enough membership fees, the taxpayers are then responsible to subsidize the swim club. This expense is not part of the municipal budget. As such, this burden would be treated as an unforeseen expense and would be taxed against the residents next year. The 2020 swim club memberships were drastically down from prior years, making it nearly impossible to operate the Hazlet Swim Club even if the governor allowed it. However, there was hope. Several federal bills were being discussed that would help municipalities with revenue replacement. One such bill known as the HEROES Act was passed by the U.S. Congress and presented to the U.S. Senate for review. I have personally been in contact with the Congressman Frank Pallone’s office on almost a daily basis for many things including discussions about municipal revenue replacement. Unfortunately, this bill has stalled in the Senate. Another bill that included municipal revenue replacement, which was introduced in the Senate, was the SMART Act. I have also personally been in contact with the offices of Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker on almost a daily basis for many things, including discussions about municipal revenue replacement.  In my most recent conversation, just this past Tuesday with the Senators’ office, I was told that it was not likely that either the HEROES Act and SMART Act would be voted on by the Senate in the near future. Any federally funded municipal revenue replacement would not be available, if at all, until after the summer.

Our summer recreation camp is a fantastic program. It also includes before and after care to cover the full working day. Earlier this year I was able to help work out an arrangement with Hazlet Board of Education to use the schools to expand our summer camp into a "rain or shine" camp. Parents would now have access to consistent activities and care for their children without worrying about the weather. Several days ago, the Governor did allow for municipal summer day camps. CDC guidelines significantly restructure the way camp would have been run and indoor activity would be severely restricted due to the number of people allowed. Field trips would be cancelled. Meal plans would need to be altered. These camps are also self-funded by the recreation fees but with low enrollment, this would have been another burden on Hazlet taxpayers. One of the main features of the summer recreation camp is the use of the Hazlet Swim Club as part of the program. Without the swim club and limited indoor access, heat issues would be a health risk on top of COVID-19 exposure.

Residents could no longer be held in limbo. Alternative plans need to be made as summer quickly approached. The few who paid could not have their money tied up in uncertainty.

After much fact-finding and deliberation, limited by state orders, without federal relief, and to ensure the safety of the swim club members, recreation campers and all the workers and employees, the Township Committee agreed unanimously June 2nd to close the Swim Club and Summer Recreation Camp for the 2020 season.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Mayor Mike Glackin
mglackin@hazlettwp.org

Delayed Opening for Hazlet Swim & Tennis Club

May 18, 2020 

The Hazlet Township Swim & Tennis Club will not be open for Memorial Day weekend as originally scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of necessary guidance to assure the health and safety of our members and staff.

We are delaying the opening of this facility to Saturday June 27, 2020 assuming State Department of Heath guidance and other assistance is received and can be implemented with certainty. Membership rates and fees already paid will be adjusted by a percentage and returned or credited to those membership which have already paid the full membership amounts.

The pools, grounds and facilities will have limited occupancy where their usage will include social distancing protocols throughout the entire complex. Face coverings are encouraged and will be required in certain areas of the facility such as restrooms, access gates etc.

The playground, water slide, rock walls and zip line may not be open at all this season due to the Governor’s executive order closing such facilities unless lifted along the way. We apologize for this inconvenience and late announcement.