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Resident asks Waynetown council to lift pool ban as town readies Aquatic Center for summer
Summary
Resident Laura Howe told the council she was unaware of any formal notice of a ban preventing her from using the Aquatic Center and asked officials to review the matter; council members also discussed staff hiring, sound-system reuse and the pool's scheduled May 23 opening.
Laura Howe, of 107 S. Plum Street, asked the Waynetown Town Council on May 13 to lift what she said is an unexplained ban preventing her from using the town Aquatic Center.
Howe read a prepared letter to council members saying she was never given a formal written notice about the ban. She said the underlying disagreement began July 18, 2025, at a Glow Party when her son and his stepsister — who the town employs at the pool — had an exchange. Howe said she asked Pool Manager Haley to address the incident but was told Haley would not intervene because the other person was a family member. Months later, Howe said, her son told her the stepsister had said Howe was banned. Howe said a board member told a third party the ban exists and that Howe must appear before the board to contest it; she asked the council to ask Haley and town staff to clarify whether any formal ban was issued and how Howe would have been notified.
Town Council President Bob Cox told Howe the council did not have to act immediately but said he would prefer staff to speak with Pool Manager Haley and try to resolve the dispute informally so regular business could continue. Several council members thanked Howe for bringing her account directly to the meeting.
Separately, the council reviewed operational preparations for the Aquatic Center. Clerk-Treasurer Sandy Proctor said nine employees were hired effective May 17 and a mandatory staff meeting and training will be held that afternoon. Cox and Matt Foxworthy said an older sound board currently unreliable for council meetings could be repurposed at the pool with small wireless speakers; repairs at the pool have been completed and the pool is filled with water. Pool Manager Haley retains discretion to delay the scheduled May 23 opening if she judges the water temperature too cold to open safely.
The council did not take an immediate vote on Howe's request; Cox said staff should first verify whether a formal ban notice had been issued and try to resolve the matter with the pool manager.
