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Residents urge Monrovia to revive public aquatics program and explore joint use with schools
Summary
Multiple residents told the council they want a city‑run aquatics program and a joint‑use facility with the Monrovia Unified School District, citing lifelong health, youth programming and revenue opportunities; they asked council to schedule a joint city–school meeting.
Several Monrovia residents used the public‑comment period at Tuesday’s City Council meeting to press elected officials to pursue an updated public aquatics program and to pursue a joint‑use pool arrangement with the Monrovia Unified School District.
Karen DeClue described the pool as ‘‘a place where community gathers’’ and urged the city to pursue a joint city‑district aquatic center that would serve residents of all ages, host swim lessons and support school athletics. Randy Jukes and other longtime Monrovia residents recounted summers working and learning at the city pool and said an aquatics facility provides inclusive, lifelong benefits for children, adults and seniors.
Speakers asked the council to begin formal talks with the Monrovia Unified School District and to consider a joint meeting where the two bodies could discuss site options, operating models and potential funding. One commenter suggested the city and schools create a maintenance fund supported by revenue from private swim clubs or special programs.
Why it matters: speakers framed a city aquatics facility as a public‑health, recreation and youth‑engagement investment that could support swim lessons, school teams and seniors’ exercise programs. Advocates said the facility would also create revenue streams that could be set aside for upkeep.
What the council heard: the public comment segment recorded multiple personal histories tied to Monrovia’s former pool operations and a request that staff and the council prioritize discussions with the school district. Council members acknowledged the benefits and said they hoped to pursue interagency collaboration; no formal vote or commitment to a timeline was recorded.
Clarifying details: speakers asked specifically for a joint city–district meeting to explore a joint‑use aquatic center, to examine shared funding or revenue models, and to consider long‑term maintenance funding. Several speakers described the pool as serving swim lessons, high school water polo camps, lap swimmers, rehabilitation patients and intergenerational programming.
