DAYTON–The Friends of the Pool Committee is moving forward with plans to facilitate a swimming pool for the community through grants and citizen support.

Since the closure of the Dayton City Pool at the end of the season in 2017, a dedicated group of citizens formed The Friends of the Pool Committee to facilitate the process for the construction and sustainable operation and maintenance of a new swimming pool.

The vision of the organizaton is a community where all people have pathways to healthy opportunities, and believes this process can only be successful with full community involvement and support.

To accomplish this, an action plan has been developed.

With a grant from Innovia, the Friends of the Pool have contracted with Schemata Workshop and Ballard King to conduct an Aquatic Facility Study. The study is broken down into Two Phases to accommodate funding abilities.

Available funds will initiate Phase One, to include Community Input meetings, an online survey and identifying the mission and vision of the aquatic facility. Phase Two will include a Concept Plan: drawing concepts of pool facilities and an Operations Plan; the cost of construction and the yearly operations and maintenance costs.

The group hopes to have funding for the second phase in the near future.

With the knowledge that a swimming pool is not a money maker, yet is vital to the health and well-being of a community, the long-term funding of the operations and maintenance of the swimming facility is essential. Many communities have accomplished this through the establishment of a Parks and Recreation District.

The Friends of the Pool has formed an Advisory Focus Group of county and city officials, youth recreation leaders, and community members to identify the mission and vision of a Metropolitan Parks District for our community. A Metropolitan Parks District is a voter initiative and community input will be essential to bringing the initiative to the ballot.

There are many moving parts to this action plan, but Friends members feel most strongly about gathering community input and transparency. For a community to have a pool, it must be willing to financially support it.

The group invites and welcomes anyone to volunteer for the Friends of the Pool Committee. Many hands make light work.

Please visit our Facebook page: Friends of the Dayton Community Pool and watch the Dayton Chronicle for updates and other information.

To participate in the survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DaytonFP

-Dianne McKinley