Faced with the risk of imminent insolvency without further funding, Team Sheeper, the operator of divisional pool operations for Menlo Swim and Sport, came to a resolution on Tuesday, Sept. 30. If a solution had not been reached by the end of September, Team Sheeper threatened to terminate the contract early as they were unable to maintain solvency as a business, leaving the community without access to either of the Menlo Park pools.
Team Sheeper’s losses have exceeded $200,000 since 2024 due to increased labor costs from operating both the Burgess Pool and Belle Haven Pool. The City Council’s resolution calls for the City of Menlo Park’s assistance with staff and labor costs, with the goal of Team Sheeper becoming financially neutral by 2026. Both lower attendance rates at the Belle Haven Pool and the City’s restrictive regulations had led to an unstable relationship.
“Both we and the city were hopeful that the economics of our relationship would work, but after half a year or so of operation, we knew that it would be a challenging situation. We knew we had to be patient as we worked with the City of Menlo Park to redevelop an agreement that would work for both the city and the company,” CEO of Team Sheeper, Tim Sheeper, said. Sheeper felt an obligation to the community. “It was up to us to let it be known to the city that it was important for us that the pools stayed as that vital connection point for the community,” he said.
Terms of the contract include the maintenance of 63 hours of service at Belle Haven Pool, with the city assisting with 33 of those hours, and additionally, returning Burgess pool to 93 hours of operation, with the city directly covering costs for the additional 30 hours of staffing. A 35% price difference between resident and non-resident fees ensures that Menlo Park residents benefit financially, as the funding comes from taxpayer dollars. New pool operating hours have a target implementation date of Nov. 1, 2025.
Sheeper emphasized that despite the increased percentage price difference, prices will not go up substantially for non-residents. “About 60% of the people coming to Burgess are residents, and 40% are non-residents. As an operator, we’re very sensitive to the cost of service, and we didn’t want to tack on extra dollars to the non-residents, because they play a big part in allowing the residents to use the pool and have that pool open,” Sheeper said.
For many, the accessibility of Burgess Pool is vital to the vibrancy of the community, and for some, the rhythm of daily life. With Menlo Swim and Sport’s revenue coming from daily drop-ins, monthly memberships, pool renters like Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA) and Solo Aquatics, and swim lessons, people of all ages have a connection to the Burgess pool.
“A lot of pools and aquatic complexes up and down the peninsula can be like concrete jungle, but Burgess Pool is a community, a place where families can come together,” Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics parent Sachi Blue-Smith said.
Blue-Smith emphasized the importance of community involvement and youth advocacy. “I would much rather have 10-year-olds or 14-year-olds going up in front of the council, even if it’s not highly eloquent, I think it’s 10 times more powerful than an adult saying the same thing,” she said.
Sheeper disregards a perceived lack of transparency between Team Sheeper and the City of Menlo Park, emphasizing the alleged nature of the remarks. “Our agreement with the City of Menlo Park divulges a lot of our information, and we deliver everything they ask for from us on a timely basis. All we are in control of is delivering what they asked for, and we have always delivered what they asked for,” Sheeper said.
