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Residents and neighborhood leaders urge Tupelo council to rebuild CC Augustus pool
Summary
Multiple Park Hill and Green Street residents, neighborhood leaders and social-service advocates urged the City Council to commit to rebuilding the CC Augustus pool and renovating the community center, offering fundraising and programming support while noting operating-cost concerns the council has raised.
A string of community speakers at the June 16 Tupelo City Council meeting urged the council to commit to rebuilding the CC Augustus public pool and investing in the adjoining community center, saying the facility is critical for neighborhood children, recreation and community pride.
"There are more than 350 children in these communities and I believe we all can agree that these children deserve places where they can stay active," resident Lauren Wilson told the council, urging officials to include a rebuilt pool in future plans for the CC Augustus area and to pursue partnerships and fundraising to sustain operations.
Cindy Edwards, a Wear It Well board member and longtime social worker, told the council that neighborhood investment supports youth outcomes: "A renovated CC Augustus Center and rebuilt pool will provide more than recreation. It will provide opportunities for youth engagement, wellness, mentoring, family activities, and community connection." She and other speakers offered volunteer and fundraising support.
Dr. Bridget Shelley, president of the Park Hill Neighborhood Association, described the pool as the last outdoor public pool in the area and said its reopening could support new housing and neighborhood stability. Several longtime residents recounted family history tied to the pool and emphasized transportation barriers to the municipal aquatic center for many households.
Public commenters acknowledged city concerns about operating costs and long-term sustainability but pressed the council to seek partnerships and shared funding rather than let the facility remain closed. "We are not asking the city to shoulder this responsibility alone," Edwards said; "residents, businesses, community organizations, and churches stand ready to help with fundraising."
Council took the public comments into its routine agenda; no formal council vote on pool reconstruction occurred during this meeting.
Provenance: Topic begins at SEG 589 and continues through SEG 862.
