Vinton parks director to depart June 5; pool opening delayed amid repairs

The Vinton City Council accepted the resignation of Parks & Recreation director Matt Bas effective June 5, 2025, and discussed near-term staffing and pool operations at its May 2 meeting.

Council members thanked Bas for his service after a personal statement in which he described the decision as driven by family proximity and career opportunity. “This was the opportunity to do it… has been experience of a lifetime and an honor of a lifetime,” the departing director said in remarks recorded by the council.

Parks staff (referred to in the meeting transcript as Mr. Bus) reported multiple mechanical issues at the municipal pool, including recent pipe failures, delayed delivery of replacement grates and a heater component failure. Staff said they had spent roughly $5,000 replacing cast-iron piping with PVC and that a feeder pipe blew out over the weekend but was repaired. Current pool water temperature was reported as 58°F, and staff said that, given the low temperature and weather forecast, they would delay a full public opening originally planned for Saturday and instead use the weekend to sell memberships and run limited fitness programming.

Staff recommended appointing an internal staff member (Scott; last name not specified in the transcript) to assume some park responsibilities during the transition; council indicated support for internal coverage while recruitment proceeds. The council accepted Bas’s resignation by motion and thanked him; no replacement timeline was finalized during the meeting.

Staff will post the vacant position and proceed with transition tasks after Memorial Day, per a staff comment in the meeting. The council also noted the pool schedule will be confirmed based on final repairs and water temperature.