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Residents urge Hermiston to approve indoor Aquatic & Wellness Center
Summary
Multiple coaches, teachers and residents urged the Hermiston City Council to advance a plan for a year-round indoor competition pool, citing youth development, safety, and regional competitive needs; speakers asked council to place the project before voters in September.
A string of residents and coaches told the Hermiston City Council on July 27 that a covered, year-round Aquatic & Wellness Center would provide safety, year-round training, and community benefits and asked councilors to move the project toward the September ballot.
Tammy Fisher, a Hermiston High School teacher and coach, described long drives for practice and said the absence of a local, year-round pool has constrained athletes and community programs. “I’m here to strongly support moving forward with the Hermiston Aquatic and Wellness Center, including a competition and training ready indoor pool,” Fisher said. She described spending early mornings driving swimmers to Boardman and asked councilors to “please vote yes to move this project forward in September.”
Other commenters echoed that message: Lynn Hamlin said community classes are overflowing; Becky Hunt said she completed multiple city surveys and urged the council to “just get this done”; Delia Fields and James Peel described personal and team hardships caused by the lack of an indoor pool, including missed home meets and lengthy travel. Speakers framed the pool as a public-health, economic and youth-development investment that would allow local swim teams to host meets, reduce travel costs, and expand programming for all ages.
Councilors thanked the speakers and acknowledged the community interest; staff did not bring a formal action on the project at this meeting, but multiple residents urged timely placement of the matter on a September ballot or other near-term council action.
