At the April board meeting, board president Howard Pitman announced that Kings Forest is faced with a decision whether or not to participate in a new policy being implemented by other Kingwood neighborhoods to control traffic at their pools.
The new policy involves distributing pool tags --or ID bracelets, as some neighborhoods are calling them -- to residents in good standing to gain entry to their neighborhood pools.
Some neighborhoods have already rolled out their programs, such as South Woodland Hills (read details in their March newsletter) and North Woodland Hills (see website). Hunters Ridge is preparing to roll out its program shortly.
Why are these villages implementing the policy? Because these villages have experienced an increase in pool use by non-Kingwood residents, or residents of other villages, and are trying to control attendance while giving priority to their own residents. Howard says this effort is being spearheaded by the Parks Committee and several of these Community Associations.
If Kings Forest participates in the pool tag policy, it will be required to open its pool to residents of other villages and continue to operate as it has been with lifeguard attendance. Kings Forest residents in good standing will be given a family pool tag to gain entrance to the Kings Forest pool. If they wish to use other village pools, they will be able to use their tag at participating pools.
If Kings Forest chooses not to participate, our pool will remain open to our residents, but closed to other village residents. Kings Forest can continue to operate the pool as is, or it can pursue alternate plans already being discussed, including reducing hours of operation, use of lifeguards, or transitioning to key access.
For Kings Forest residents who want to use other neighborhood pools, the change will require them to purchase a seasonal pool tag for $125.
The Kings Forest board does not support implementation of the pool tag policy because of the continued maintenance levels that would be required, including lifeguards and hours of operation.
Adopting the policy also would shift some decisions from the Kings Forest board to the committee overseeing the joint-use agreement. Howard cited an example: if lifeguards were having problems with an unruly visitors at our pool, action could not be taken to ban them. Rather, the issue would be brought before an oversight committee populated by other CAs and the Parks Committee for a decision.
