Council debates how to ask voters about pool funding as officials seek clearer cost estimates

Councilmembers discussed options for addressing the long‑running issue of the Crookston pool, focusing on what a ballot question could legally ask, when the city would need to commit to a plan and how the city should gather clearer cost estimates before asking voters to fund repairs or replacement.

Staff advised that a ballot question must be specific about a bond or levy (not a generic opinion question), and that the council would need to be in a position to commit to a project scope and dollar amount before placing a bond question before voters. “We can't just have a question on the ballot asking what is the popularity of the pool — you have to present a bonding question with a dollar amount and a plan,” staff said, explaining charter and statutory limitations on ballot language.

Councilmembers pushed for updated engineering and mechanical cost estimates so the city can determine whether to repair the existing pool or pursue replacement; several members urged a community‑led engagement process through the park board to gather resident preferences and avoid repeated rounds of undirected surveys. One councilmember summarized the frustration: ongoing maintenance costs are high and there is little forward plan; the council needs hard numbers to decide whether to bond or continue annual maintenance.

Staff said it will seek more precise estimates and return to council with options; councilmembers requested that any community engagement prioritize current Crookston residents and that park board work be brought back to the council for consideration before a ballot decision.

Next steps: staff will update council on refined cost estimates and options; the park board is expected to play a role in community engagement and reporting back to council before any bond question is drafted.