City's Pools Crumbling, Need Major Reconstruction

The Parks and Recreation last night voted unanimously to keep Magnolia Pool closed for the upcoming summer. The decision still has to be OK’d by the City Council.

Opening up the pool for family swim for three hours a day from July 2-Aug. 22 would cost the city about $10,000.

“Because of our budget situation, there are $0 allocated for our pools; this would be another $10,000 we don’t have to spend,” said Guy Miller, the recreation services manager for the city. “There’s been very little interest in keeping it open.”

Miller said he’s only received two calls in the past year from citizens asking to open the pool.

“I’m torn,” said Vice Chair Gerald Griffin. “Because if we don’t ask [the Council] for the pool, we’re guaranteed to not get it, but if we ask for it, there’s a chance.”

“I feel an obligation to have the pool available, but for $10,000, I feel it may not be feasible — it may be an opportunity to save the city money,” said Commissioner Nick Aronis.

With M-Pool’s closure, that leaves Honeybee Pool, open year-round, and Benicia Pool, which is open June 11 through Labor Day weekend.

“There’s bigger issues,” Miller said. “We have outstanding maintenance issues everywhere in the city, and H-Pool is in need of a major reconstruction.”

H-Pool, by far the city’s most popular with about 50,000 visits a year, will only last a couple more seasons if the city doesn’t undertake a major repair. The bathhouse is literally rotting away, Miller said, and there’s extreme plumbing issues.

Miller estimated the repairs would cost between $50,000-$60,000.

“We’ve been just putting it off and off and it’s getting progressively worse,” Miller said.