The Crestwood Board of Aldermen gathered for a monthly meeting on Jan. 28, where the board approved an increase in daily admission fees for the Crestwood Aquatic Center and the purchase of a new patrol vehicle for the Crestwood Police Department.
Aquatic Center
Swimmers at the Crestwood Aquatic Center will see their daily admission fees rise after the board approved an increase. The Aquatic Center is moving to a flat fee structure, meaning youths and seniors will be charged the same rate as adults, as opposed to the discounted price of the past. Children under the age of three will still be able to enter for free.
The daily admission fee will now be $8 for Crestwood residents and $14 for non-residents. Before the recent change, resident youths and seniors were charged $6 while non-resident youths and seniors were charged $8 as a daily fee. Similarly, resident adults were charged $8, while non-resident adults were charged $10 per day.
Membership fees will go unchanged as Crestwood’s membership fees are among the highest in the region, according to a memo by Director of Parks and Recreation Eilien Ramirez.
The price increase was proposed due to the rising operational costs associated with paying Aquatic Center staff and lifeguards. The Aquatic Center’s projected total losses for 2025 were $330,836 — a rise from 2024’s losses of $311,971 — but with the new rates, there will be an expected revenue increase of $55,593. This brings the Aquatic Center’s projected total losses to $275,243: lower than it has been since 2021.
Ford Mustang patrol car
The Board of Aldermen also approved the purchase of a Ford Mustang to be used as a Crestwood Police Department patrol car. The car is expected to cost $51,350 from the police department’s 2025 general funds budget.
There are only a handful of Mustangs used as patrol cars in the region, according to a memo by Police Chief Jonathan Williams, making this car a “covert traffic enforcement vehicle.” Drivers may not immediately recognize it as a police vehicle, which the police department hopes will “increase its effectiveness as an enforcement tool.”
Though the make and model may be covert, Crestwood drivers and community members will recognize the Route 66 livery the police department plans to brand the car with.
“Although Route 66 was decommissioned 40 years ago, the spirit of the road lives on,” Williams stated in the memo. “The Route 66 Mustang will celebrate and signify the history of today’s Crestwood and the pride and recognition that history builds and supports.”
The new Mustang will replace the department’s 75th anniversary police car, which is being decommissioned from patrol and moved to the administrative fleet. The “Anniversary Vehicle” also bore Route 66 markings.
During public comment, Lincoln Charboneau — the young son of former Ward 2 Alderman Justin Charboneau — advocated for the approval of the Route 66 Mustang by emphasizing youth engagement. He suggested the car be brought to community youth events.
“Sometimes kids are scared of police or don’t know how to talk to them and call them for help,” Lincoln said. “A new car will help draw attention for kids and they will love it. When kids interact with police they know they can come to them when they need help.”
When it isn’t out on patrol, the community can plan to see the Route 66 Mustang at car shows, the Christmas in Crestwood Car Cruise and the SunCrest Fest parade.