Residents, students urge Tupelo to rebuild and reopen the C.C. Augustus pool

An 11-year-old student told the Tupelo City Council he wants his neighborhood pool fixed so children can learn to swim and families can stay safe.

"My dream is that the CC Augustus pool reopens next summer better than ever and one day I can train to become a lifeguard so I can help anyone that may not know how to swim," Michael Carter said during the public-comment portion of the council meeting. He said the pool closed two summers ago, limiting where children can socialize and practice swimming; during a school visit last year he helped a classmate who could not swim.

Michael Carter, who identified himself as a fourth-grade student, asked the council and mayor to "please fix the pool as fast as they can." His testimony was followed by a representative of a local civic group who urged the council to act quickly and include residents in planning.

"We stand with Michael Carter and many other children and families in Tupelo to urge the city council, the city of Tupelo to rebuild and reopen the CC Augustus pool," said Chavevel Champ, representing Working Together Mississippi’s Tupelo/Lee County chapter. Champ told the council the group has been meeting for more than a year and a half, has heard from constituents across all seven wards, and has waited about 18 months for a response.

Champ and other speakers framed the pool as more than a recreation facility, saying it has historical and community value and arguing that an updated pool and community center could yield broader benefits for the neighborhood. "We are eager to work together with the city leadership toward a workable, affordable plan to rebuild, restore, and sustain the historic CC Augusta City Pool," Champ said.

Council discussion during the later bond-resolution debate referenced the public comments. One council member said the council "is in agreement with redoing the C.C. Augustus pool exactly the way it has been" and asked that bond proceeds be inclusive of park and pool repairs. The council did not take a separate, immediate vote specifically to direct pool repairs during the public-comment period; commenters asked for the city to involve residents in planning and to move with urgency.

What happens next: Council members said they expect capital projects funded by the recently authorized bond issuance to include the pool as a candidate. Residents and community groups asked to be included in planning discussions going forward.