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Appling County commissioners vote to close two outlying pools
Summary
The Appling County Board of Commissioners voted 4–1 to close the Ernest J. Parker and Max Deen pools, citing costly repairs and safety concerns; one commissioner opposed the closures because no replacement plan was in place.
The Appling County Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 4 to close two outlying public pools, saying repairs were costly and posed safety concerns.
Wilton McCall told the board the Ernest J. Parker pool is leaking and that the county previously spent about $170,000 on repairs around 2001. McCall said the county received a quote of roughly $40,000 to attempt repairs but that the work would come without a guarantee. He and County Manager Hayden Rozier also reported that a new splash pad of comparable size would likely cost in the $600,000–$650,000 range and that any new facility would be a SPLOST-funded project.
Commissioner Sarah Boatright moved to close the Ernest J. Parker and Max Deen pools. Commissioner Daryl Edwards seconded the motion, which passed 4–1. Commissioner Theodore Wilkerson was recorded as opposed; Wilkerson asked that the record reflect his objection was based on the absence of a replacement plan for the closed facilities.
The board’s action ends county-supported operations at the two sites but did not adopt a specific replacement project or timeline at the meeting. Mr. McCall said he was not in favor of repairing the old pool at Ernest J. Parker because of safety concerns. County Manager Hayden Rozier said any new facility would be pursued as a SPLOST project and that Mr. McCall would present more information at the March SPLOST meeting.
The commission made the decision during regular business and did not vote to allocate funds for a replacement at the meeting.
