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Beaver City council backs one more year of pool funding, directs engineering study to convert to outdoor facility
Summary
After lengthy debate, Beaver City Council agreed to budget the municipal pool for another year and asked staff to seek an engineering assessment on converting it to an outdoor facility by removing the roof; staffing and overlap with the new wellness center were central concerns.
Beaver City — The Beaver City Council on Nov. 12 directed staff to include the municipal swimming pool in the 2026 budget and to pursue an engineering assessment of options to convert the facility to an outdoor pool by removing the existing roof.
City Manager Monty Hawkins framed the discussion with a five-option analysis — keep operating as-is, invest capital to repair, remove the roof to operate it as a seasonal outdoor pool, demolish the facility, or demolish and replace it with a comparable asset. He said the overall swimming-pool budget listed in staff materials is $226,500, with about $50,000 earmarked for operations and maintenance.
Why it matters: The new Beaver Valley Hospital-operated wellness center will include a 50-meter competition pool, raising questions about overlapping programming and staff recruitment. Council members worried the city might be competing with hospital-generated positions for certified lifeguards and other aquatic staff.
How the council decided: Members generally favored keeping the pool funded through the next summer season so the city can measure community demand after the wellness center opens. The council also asked staff to identify engineering firms and cost estimates for the ‘‘chop the top off’’ option — removing the building’s roof and converting the facility to a summer-only outdoor pool.
Staff and usage concerns: Pool staff reported recurring maintenance issues that could require immediate attention — notably leaking mechanical-room pipes that staff said "might be okay for a year" but could fail earlier. Staff also said lifeguard staffing has declined from about 12 pre-hires to a smaller roster because some employees left for higher-paying jobs; that shortfall informed the council’s caution about operating two facilities year-round.
Quotes from the meeting: City Manager Monty Hawkins said, "Everything is figureoutable," urging a practical approach to evaluating options. Pool staff noted the mechanical leaks and the tight summer staffing window; one staff member said recent hires left for higher pay and that summer scheduling often determines whether young lifeguards take shifts.
Next steps and implementation: Council directed staff to: (1) include the pool in the 2026 budget at a level similar to the current year pending further analysis; (2) solicit at least one engineering assessment on what would be required to remove the roof and ready the pool as an outdoor facility; and (3) return with a refined budget and staffing plan before final budget adoption. No formal ordinance or capital appropriation was adopted at the Nov. 12 meeting.
The council also discussed program changes (shorter seasonal hours vs. year-round programming), how tournaments and youth recreation may shift demand, and potential minor capital improvements that would be worthwhile if the pool were retained. The city manager said he would have initial engineering contacts and cost estimates for council review in the coming months.
The mayor closed the discussion by summarizing action items and encouraging staff to report back ahead of the 2026 budget cycle.
