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Residents press Limestone County to act on closed wellness-center pools; say Huntsville Hospital pledged transfer
Summary
Multiple residents urged the commission to reopen indoor pools at the wellness center after a pledged transfer from Huntsville Hospital and funding claims; speakers said little action has followed the hospital commitment.
Several residents told the Limestone County Commission at the work session that the county and Athens have not followed through on a previously reported commitment by Huntsville Hospital to return the wellness center pools to local control, and they urged action to reopen indoor pools.
Laura Lynn Kerner said she and Dr. Turner met with Huntsville Hospital leadership in 2023 and secured a commitment from Jeff Sams, the hospital CEO, that the pools would be returned to the county or Athens; she said hospital counsel Joe Campbell directed Sams to give the pools back and that later meetings involved hospital officials and a county representative named Colin Daley. Kerner said she and supporters provided a strategic plan but that, as of the work session, “it’s been 1 year and 7 months since that time, and we have not seen any action taken.”
Speakers highlighted local demand for an indoor pool for rehabilitation, early-childhood swim lessons, swim teams, water aerobics and other community uses. Deanna Babb said Athens is one of the fastest-growing Alabama cities and argued a county indoor pool would fill gaps for youth activities, medical rehabilitation referrals and older residents who cannot travel to Madison or Huntsville. Beth Edwards recounted social and mental-health benefits for seniors who used the previous program and said the community continues to need an indoor aquatic facility.
Kerner said she understood money had been made available: in her remarks she said “you get $1,500,000 from TBA, you got $4,800,000 from a hospital tax,” and she quoted county and hospital contacts saying funding was not the obstacle. The commission did not, during the work session, record a vote to accept or allocate those funds; commissioners and staff did not announce a timetable for accepting or transferring the facility while residents were speaking.
Kerner asked the commissioners directly about the plan and said volunteer supporters had offered to help ensure the pool would be sustainable. Commissioners acknowledged the comments and thanked speakers but did not state a specific next step during the work session record.
Residents requested information about the transfer, use of identified funds, and a path to reopening the pools; the commission said staff would follow up after the work session.
