Residents, nonprofits urge Assembly not to close MeriSci pool as budget hearing continues

Dozens of Fairbanks residents pleaded with the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly on May 8 to keep the Mary Siah (MeriSci) Recreation Center open and to preserve the Carlson Center and Joy Community Center as the Assembly considers cuts in the borough’s proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget.

The appeals came during a public hearing on the mayor’s proposed budget, ordinance 2025-20, which the Assembly will return to on May 8 for final action. Many speakers said MeriSci’s warm water, hot tub, sauna and accessible changing areas provide therapeutic and social services not available elsewhere in the borough.

Why it matters: Testimony described MeriSci as a low-cost health and social hub for older residents, people with mobility or sensory needs, and families with young children; speakers said the university and larger pools do not substitute because of temperature, access or scheduling limits.…