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Brawley officials say pool repair plans submitted; residents press for faster timeline
Summary
City officials told the council they submitted pool repair designs to the county public health department and remain on track for a spring 2026 reopening; swimmers and coaches urged faster action and clearer public updates during public comment.
The city of Brawley has submitted designs and plans for repair of the municipal swimming pool to the county public health department and officials said the project remains on track for a spring 2026 opening. Residents who coach and use the pool urged the council to accelerate the schedule and to provide clearer, regular public updates.
City staff and the mayor told the council the pool repair plans are with the county for permitting and that the city anticipates the pool could reopen in spring 2026 if permitting and contract work proceed as expected. The mayor also said staff will prepare a public statement once contracts are signed.
The matter mattered to local coaches. Diane Lucky, a former coach for the Brawley Sunstrokers and a current assistant coach for B.U.H.S., told the council that the high school season begins Feb. 2 and that the team has lost training time for the last two seasons because it has had to travel to Calipatria High School. "Every day, those athletes are losing an hour of training time," Lucky said, adding that swim lesson access in the valley is a public-safety concern because drowning is a leading cause of death among young children.
Resident Linda Rubin asked for more specifics about the work and said the community needs a public update when milestones are reached. A city speaker summarized the known scope: "The bottom's gonna have to be cut out. The soil's gonna have to be removed. New gravel, new soil, all that has to be remediated. New plumbing, gunite, and plaster." The speaker also said negotiations remain ongoing and that some details must remain confidential while insurance and legal matters are resolved.
Council members acknowledged the public frustration over shifting timelines. The mayor said the city will prepare a public statement when contracts are finalized and reiterated that staff are asking the county to expedite review of the submitted designs.
The city did not provide a contracted start date or a final project cost in the meeting. One speaker referred to the work as involving "millions of dollars," and the council said the city does not currently have full funding publicly detailed. Officials also said some negotiations remain in closed or attorney-involved processes and that insurance litigation has affected the pace. The council encouraged staff to consider a special meeting if an urgent action is needed to meet swim-season goals.
The pool repair discussion drew public comment during the meeting's public appearance period; no formal council action or binding deadline was adopted during the session.
Looking ahead, staff said they will notify the public via a press release and social media when contracts are signed or when the county sets firm permit timelines.
