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Coach urges Johnson City board to press city to repair Freedom Hall Pool
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Summary
In public comment, Coach Coraggio urged the Johnson City Board of Education to advocate for repairs to Freedom Hall Pool to restore a local training and competition facility, arguing repairs would be preferable to extended closure while a new aquatic center is built.
During the public comment period at the April Johnson City Board of Education meeting, Coach Coraggio used his allotted three minutes to urge the board to pressure the city commission to repair Freedom Hall Pool so it can serve as a viable training and competition facility while the planned Johnson City Aquatic Center is constructed.
"Repairing Freedom Hall Pool is the best solution we have," Coach Coraggio said, listing five reasons: it addresses safety concerns, provides a stopgap facility, the cost differential is negligible compared with permanent closure, a temporary training disruption of six to nine months is preferable to multi-year loss of a home venue, and a repaired pool could also expand curricular opportunities.
Coraggio criticized a commissioner’s earlier characterization of repairs as being done with "duct tape and bubble gum," calling that sound bite "disrespectful and inaccurate" and affirming that any repairs would meet appropriate construction standards.
He asked the board to continue advocating with the city commission to prioritize a repair that would bridge the gap until the new aquatic center is built. The board did not take formal action during that moment; the comment was entered during the designated public-comment slot and the meeting moved on to reports and business items.
