Council authorizes funding to keep Silver Lake pool afloat for at least one more season

The Rochester City Council voted Monday to keep the Silver Lake pool around for at least one more summer — reversing course on Parks and Recreation’s original plans to shutter the pool for good, and also creating a serious possibility that the pool could be free for everyone this summer.

Council members voted 7-0 to authorize the use of $95,000 in contingency funds to reopen the pool for the summer. City officials estimate it would cost at least $45,000 to operate the pool for the summer, in addition to an expected $50,000 in maintenance costs. 

Additionally, through an amendment introduced by Council Member Nick Campion, the measure may end up expanding in scope. Along with the reopening approval, the council directed the Park Board to identify how much funding would be needed to waive admission fees at Silver Lake Pool for the summer — estimated Monday to be around $60,000.

To avoid using extra contingency funding, council members floated the possibility of using pandemic relief funds — specifically, the American Rescue Plan Act, of which Rochester will receive $17 million — to cover some or all of the total admission cost.

“We have a real opportunity here, if we think there’s a barrier to use, to apply that [ARPA] funding to make swimming available to everyone,” said Campion.

Mayor Kim Norton said other cities across the country like Columbus, Ohio are planning to run similar programs for their outdoor pools, making admission free through ARPA funds. While the long-term future of the Silver Lake pool is still hazy, she says opening the pool this year will be a major boost to the public’s well-being.

“This issue of access to pools and other facilities will be so important, in particular this summer, for people have been impacted negatively by the pandemic financially,” said Mayor Norton. “I’m pleased that this was mentioned.”

Monday’s vote marked a reversal of the city’s original plans, after months of public outcry. In September 2020, Parks and Rec officials recommended the pool stay closed for the 2021 season, citing the old age of the structure and low usage. More than 1,300 people have signed a petition asking the city to keep the pool open.

Widman has said he believes “major breakdowns are imminent” for the 62-year-old structure, but said Monday the extra funding would pay for “routine maintenance” to keep the pool running through 2021.

“We feel confident, based on our history, that we can make this happen,” said Widman.

The pool was recently inspected by Brad Thatcher of Thatcher Pools and Spas; in an email to the council, he said the pool shell was still in “good shape,” but larger issues lie in the condition of the bathhouse — which has fallen out of compliance with state building code — and the pipe systems.

“[The pool is] well past its intended lifespan, so the only way to see if the plumbing works is to fill it up and see what happens,” Thatcher wrote in an email to the council.

The pool still has to successfully pass a health and safety inspection before it will be allowed to open. Widman said he would “not guarantee” the pool would be ready to open by its traditional opening date of Memorial Day.

Monday’s vote does not change the city’s long-term plans to demolish the structure and replace it with an “interactive water feature,” although the timeline will be pushed back.

City attorney is headed west

The council also began the search process for a new city attorney Monday night, confirming the news that current city attorney Jason Loos will leave his post in Rochester to take the same position in Lake Oswego, Oregon this summer.

Loos spent two years in Oregon immediately before coming to Rochester, working as deputy city attorney for the city of Portland. Loos’s last day on the job in Rochester will be June 2. 

Current Deputy City Attorney Michael Spindler-Krage will take over as the interim city attorney, while the city searches for a permanent replacement this summer.

Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.