New Carlisle council agrees to form parks and recreation board as residents press to save aging pool

The City of New Carlisle announced plans to form a parks and recreation board to study the future of its aging municipal pool and broader recreation programs after residents and staff urged the city not to close the facility.

Vice Mayor Eggleston told the audience the council wants the new board to "help evaluate the future of recreation and what's next, exploring the funding options and considering the possibility of a levy" timed for 2026–2027. Council members described the pool as an enterprise fund that frequently requires general-fund support.

The Nut Graf: Residents and the pool manager described a summer of operational improvements but also persistent structural and financial challenges. Speaking during the public-comment period, a resident group offered operational suggestions—online booking, clearer registration, volunteer staffing, designated senior hours, sponsorship tiers and fundraising events—and cited an estimated $1,900,000 figure to "keep it where it's at." The pool manager, Ashley Pollock, credited staff training, emergency drills and donations from Arbor Homes for improvements and urged continued public and private support.

Pool manager Ashley Pollock, who ran the facility this past summer, said managers and lifeguards prioritized cleanliness, safety and customer service and worked with the fire chief on emergency drills. "The facility is old," she said, adding that many systems and processes need modernization.

Residents proposed multiple revenue and cost-control ideas. Suggestions included a Google form for bookings and memberships, increased nonresident fees, a tiered sponsorship program (banner and event perks), limited concessions focused on higher-margin items, volunteer shifts for maintenance and check-in, special fundraising nights and an apparel sale. The group noted grant opportunities such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund (a 50% match, up to $500,000) and state and federal options.

Council members characterized the board as the next step to provide a structured public process and public engagement before any levy or formal funding request. The council’s stated goal for the parks and recreation board is to evaluate options that could include repairs, a new facility or alternative delivery models, and to develop public outreach for the 2026 pool season.

Council did not record a formal vote on pool funding at the meeting; instead, members indicated consensus to establish the parks and recreation board and to continue exploring funding and operational solutions.

Residents who spoke at the meeting emphasized the pool’s community value. "It was one of the best years," said Amy Hopkins, a long-time resident who called pool staff "wonderful" and warned that closing the pool this season would likely mean it never reopens.

The council said it expects to convene the parks and recreation board selection process soon and hold a work session to finalize membership and a charge. Further decisions about a levy or formal funding request will require additional public hearings and council action.