Residents urge New Carlisle to save city pool; council restores $150,000 to pool budget and schedules town hall

Dozens of New Carlisle residents appealed to the City Council to keep the city pool running and to develop a long-term plan for replacement or renovation; the council voted to restore $150,000 to the pool budget while it pursues community input and a multi-step planning process.

Public comments at the meeting emphasized swim lessons, water-safety training, youth jobs and community cohesion. “The pool is primary and often only accessible location for swim lessons and water safety training for children and adults in our area,” said Emily Seymour, a New Carlisle resident who noted swim lessons taught her children life-saving skills. Missy Carnes, who identified herself as a lifelong New Carlisle resident, urged the council to pursue a management partnership to keep operations running: “I would like to use them for 2026, and you guys can continue thinking on the future of the pool, but we need the pool,” she said.

Speakers described the pool as a multi-generational hub that provides jobs to teenagers and a venue for the local summer swim team. Several commenters said closing the pool would push families to travel longer distances for lessons or lead people to swim in unsupervised places such as rivers and ponds. “If even one kid drowns in the river this summer because they’re there…