Amarillo council orders Southeast, Southwest pools closed pending engineering study

Amarillo — The City Council voted unanimously to close Southwest Pool and keep Southeast Pool closed for the upcoming season while the Parks and Recreation Board conducts an engineering study to determine whether the facilities can be safely repaired or should be replaced.

The council meeting followed weeks of public comment and staff briefings that flagged structural voids, decades-old mechanical equipment and rising repair estimates. Parks staff described Southeast Pool (built 1965) and Southwest Pool (built 1974) as reaching or exceeding their useful life, saying basic replastering and mechanical work could run in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars but that larger structural and amenity upgrades could cost millions. "When you start to see the pumping systems failing, the filtration systems failing, and then we start to see these voids and other issues around the actual structure of the pool, that's where we have some major concerns," a parks staff member told the council.

In public comments, residents urged the council to consider local repair options and community needs. "I'm going to ask you guys to keep Southeast Pool open," resident Lavonda Mosley said, noting fees, neighborhood access and the importance of a local swimming option for children. Business owner Craig Brucker offered volunteers and local contractors who believe some problems could be fixed more cheaply.

Council members said safety and stewardship of taxpayer dollars were central. One councilmember asked whether an independent engineer had assessed the pools; staff said the city had done an internal assessment and obtained budgetary estimates from a national vendor experienced with municipal pools, and that temporary flow-fill repairs had been used to address specific voids.

Staff reported attendance figures and operating costs to inform the decision: Southeast recorded roughly 10,414 visits last season, Southwest about 9,781, and the larger Thompson facility about 31,017. Basic operational expenses and cost-recovery considerations were discussed; Thompson charges $7 per session while Southeast and Southwest charge $5.

Council directed staff to refer Southeast Pool to the Parks and Recreation Board, secure a formal engineering proposal to determine structural integrity and remediation costs, and work with transit on short-term transportation options to Thompson Park for affected neighborhoods. The motion closed Southwest immediately and kept Southeast closed for the season until the engineering study is completed.

The council asked staff to return with specific engineer-scoped bids and feasibility information, and encouraged the Parks and Recreation Board to solicit community input on potential replacements or amenity upgrades. The council emphasized that any decision to invest in repairs or a new facility will need a clear funding plan and public engagement.

The vote was prompted by staff warnings about life-safety risks; staff said they would not recommend reopening the pools without adequate assurance that patrons could be kept safe. The Parks and Recreation Board will now lead an engineering evaluation and present findings to council before a final policy decision is made.