Council weighs options for Caveman Pool; staff to contact school district and YMCA about interest

The Grants Pass City Council reviewed options to repair, renovate or replace the Caveman Pool during the workshop and directed staff to ask the Grants Pass School District and the local YMCA whether either organization would be willing to explore a partnership or take ownership.

Josh Hopkins, Parks superintendent, summarized earlier work on a replacement project and a lower‑cost renovation option. Hopkins said the city previously had aimed at a roughly $6.5 million construction target for a new aquatics facility in 2024 planning work but that the council had not funded that plan. Hopkins described a renovation option using a recirculating gutter and PVC membrane (a pool liner), new deck surfaces and a two‑flume slide. He estimated the ballpark cost for that renovation package at about $1 million; he emphasized the figure did not include replacement of the bathhouse, major mechanical rooms or the pool’s underground main drain and piping.

Hopkins gave additional price guidance: a boiler and heat‑exchanger replacement for the facility was on the order of tens of thousands (Hopkins cited roughly $85,000 as a comparable recent project cost), filtration and chemical system upgrades and piping would likely add roughly $350,000, and a combined set of mechanical and filtration work could total about $500,000 before engineering and any main‑drain replacement. Hopkins also reported the city has spent $148,205.25 to date on design work and that the LB 6393 fund (the ballot measure/restricted account used for the pool project) had an available balance of about $82,461 after recent roof repairs.

Several councilors asked whether the YMCA or the Grants Pass School District might operate the pool; Councilor Kathleen proposed formally offering the project to those partners. Councilors agreed staff should first reach out to those organizations to determine interest and capacity, and they asked for a follow‑up workshop if the groups expressed interest. Councilor comments noted the very high operating cost of pools and cautioned that a transfer of ownership would not remove the need for capital investment if the pool remains in public use.

Why it matters: the Caveman Pool occupies city property adjacent to the high school and requires both near‑term repairs and longer‑term capital decisions. The council needs to weigh the city’s capital capacity against municipal priorities and consider whether a partner could operate the facility with grant or philanthropic support.

Next steps: staff will contact the YMCA and the school district to gauge interest in a transfer or partnership and report back to council. If partners express interest, the council asked staff to convene a public workshop and to provide detailed cost comparisons of renovation, phased repairs and full replacement options.

Ending: Councilors did not vote on funding or transfer; they gave staff direction to begin outreach and return with partner responses and more detailed cost information.