‘Another disappointment.’ Columbus councilors say residents upset as pools stay closed
Columbus councilors say their residents are frustrated after the city’s parks department announced that three local pools wouldn’t open until children were back in school for the fall.
The delays were announced at a city council meeting earlier this month. In the presentation, the Parks and Recreation Department said rain and plan revisions contributed to the delays. The department also hadn’t obtained a health department permit it needed.
Councilman Gary Allen, who represents District 6 where the Psalmond Road pool is located, offered more context on the delays and why the pool was closed in the first place. The Psalmond Road pool hasn’t been open since 2018.
“ ... The pools are funded by SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) revenue and our pay as you go process slowed the construction to avoid interest fees,” he said. “It would have been good for all involved to meet early to avoid delays.”
Allen said the money to build the pools is fully raised by the SPLOST. While the money is raised, designs are made. Once the money is raised, a request for proposal process allows the city to hire a contractor based on bids.
The Psalmond Road pool has been closed since 2018. It was supposed to reopen in September, but the new reopening date has been pushed to October.
“The pool closure was unavoidable due to safety concerns,” Allen told the Ledger-Enquirer. “The length of closure has been disappointing to say the least. Please remember a portion of the time period was related to the pandemic and I feel it would have been open before now. ”
“Those who enjoy the pools certainly have been frustrated having to search for alternative recreation/swim options for their families,” he said.
Resident: Prolonged pool closures ‘unacceptable’
Councilwoman Toyia Tucker said she recently received an email from a constituent who said the newest delays for the pool openings are “unacceptable.”
Tucker is the councilwoman for District 4, where the Shirley Winston pool is located. The pool has been closed since 2018, according to Ledger-Enquirer reporting. It was supposed to open in August, but the latest delay has pushed the opening to September.
“They are extremely upset,” said Tucker. “A lot of, not just District 4 individuals, but even over near Rigdon park are concerned that issues such as that one kid that died over there in that retention pond, more incidents have happened where kids are doing things that they shouldn’t be doing because they don’t have structured activities in the pool environment that’s controlled with a lifeguard.”
Tucker was referring to 15-year-old Zahmere Greene’s body being found floating in a retention pond near the dead-end of Ormand Drive near Rigdon Park in May. A case opened into the drowning of Greene led to the arrest of several juveniles and a 17-year-old, police said.
Police said the incident wasn’t reported for six days and an 11-year-old was charged with involuntary manslaughter and concealing the death of another.
Tucker also said the city will need more lifeguards once the pools reopen, and suggested proactive efforts to staff the pools with lifeguards next summer.
Councilwoman Joanne Cogle said it’s disappointing to have the pools closed for another year.
“It’s another disappointment that we haven’t been able to fulfill as a city, and especially for the kids that we’re trying to keep off the streets and give them something to do,” said Cogle.
Cogle is the councilwoman for District 7, where the Rigdon Park pool is located. It was supposed to reopen in July, but the opening date has been pushed back to August.
Cogle said she spent hours at the pool as a kid, and pools allow kids to learn how to swim and can also keep them out of trouble.
“I think there were just too many gray areas in some of the work that was being done and I think we probably should’ve done our due diligence a little bit better in being able to prevent some of those delays,” Cogle said about the delays in the pools.
