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Residents urge Santa Maria council to keep Paul Nelson Pool open; council forms ad hoc and pauses pool budget action
Summary
Multiple residents called Paul Nelson Pool a community resource and urged the council not to close it during winter months; the council voted to exclude the pool discussion from the final budget presentation and directed staff to meet with the swim club and an ad hoc budget committee before the June 16 adoption.
Hundreds of residents and several speakers told the Santa Maria City Council on June 2 that Paul Nelson Pool is an essential public facility and urged the council not to approve a partial winter‑time closure proposed in the preliminary budget.
Nancy Jo Ward, a longtime resident and retired educator, said the facility provides the city’s only municipal swim lessons and warned a closure would remove a critical life‑safety program for schoolchildren. Ward noted staff estimates that closing Paul Nelson Pool from December through May would save about $344,000 in the two‑year budget and suggested council weigh that savings against the safety and programmatic losses for children, seniors and people with limited mobility.
Why it matters: City staff said earlier in the budget presentation that operating subsidies for the pool are substantial — Campbell reported a FY24 operating cost of about $1.3 million with roughly $300,000 in revenue — and that winter usage levels vary widely; council members and staff also detailed recent capital investments to the pool systems even as the pool building itself requires further work.
Council action and next steps: In response to public testimony and council questions, Council member (speaker 12) moved to remove (exclude) the swimming pool discussion from the night’s budget action and have staff meet with a four‑ or five‑person swim club representation and the ad hoc budget committee. The motion was seconded (speaker 13) and passed by roll call (all 'Aye'). The mayor instructed staff to coordinate with the swim club and Mr. Ashmore and return options to council before the June 16 budget adoption.
Community context: Staff said 120 written comments related to the pool were posted on the city’s agenda web page in advance of the hearing. Residents suggested alternatives including adjusting fees, seeking grants or community partnerships, modifying hours rather than full winter closure, and prioritizing the pool in Measure U spending. Staff noted some capital constraints (Quimby and AB1600 developer impact fee restrictions) that limit how certain funding sources may be used for maintenance and operations.
Ending: The council did not adopt a pool closure; instead it directed staff to meet with community stakeholders and the ad hoc budget committee and to return with recommendations before the June 16 meeting.
