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Crookston council weighs keeping aging indoor pool open as budget shortfall looms
Summary
Council members debated whether to fund the Crookston indoor aquatic center for 2025 after staff identified roughly $65,000–$70,000 of one-time adjustments but an unresolved budget gap and a 2023 engineering report showing $900,000–$1.2 million in probable rehabilitation needs. Supporters said the pool is a community asset; some councilors warned of safety and long-term costs.
Supporters of the Crookston indoor pool appealed to the City Council on Tuesday as councilors and staff wrestled with a preliminary 2025 budget that could leave the city short if the facility remains open.
"I don't want the pool to close," said John Rasu during public comment, introduced by his father, Matt Rasu, who told the council the pool is valuable to "all of our community" and cited a Change.org petition with more than 1,500 signatures. The park board, he added, is also in favor of keeping the pool open.
Council members and staff reviewed a set of budget options that would either keep the pool operating or omit it from the 2025 operating budget. City finance staff told the council they identified roughly $65,000–$70,000 in near-term savings and reclassifications (including reduced workers' compensation costs and other reallocations), but said an operating choice that keeps the pool open still leaves a remaining shortfall unless…
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