Valley County Community Pool At Risk of Closure

It is no longer a matter of if, but when, the aging Valley County Community Pool fails, said Jory Casterline, city of Glasgow Recreation Director.

"Last Friday (June 18), we had a scare right before the swim meet," he said. "The water wasn't circulating. And, yesterday (June 21), again it wasn't circulating. We have been able to manipulate it, but we are running out of options. Right now, several deck drains have collapsed. There is a drain in the boys locker room that has collapsed. If the main drain collapses, it is done. That is something underneath all the concrete, and once that happens, there is no fixing that. Right now we have been putting BAND-AID after BAND-AID on that thing."

Casterline said the pool, located in downtown Glasgow, is rife with tripping hazards and broken concrete. The deck also has shifted.

And, the pool lining cracks constantly.

"Every year, we go in and pump that thing out and power wash it," Casterline said. "When the swim team comes in, they do their part. They patch the walls. We paint it so it looks nice, but it is not."

The boiler also is on its last legs.

"We are on our second pump," he said. "We are probably looking at a third pump this summer."

Compounding matters further, the pump filters are no longer manufactured. As such, the pool staff must hand sew and fit them.

"We are dealing with an antiquated system that doesn't have much life left," Casterline said.

The brick and mortar in the bath house also is starting to crumble. And, the hot water is out of commission, meaning cold showers for visitors to the pool, Casterline said.

"It is not a pretty picture, and ultimately, if we do not get a new pool. There is not going to be a pool."

Efforts to fund construction of a new pool continue as part of the Valley County Community Pool Campaign. But major hurdles remain, especially as the cost of construction continues to increase, and rampant inflation looms on the horizon, proponents say.

As of May 31, the campaign has raised about $1,412,684, including $546,000 in pledges. About $10,000 in matching funds also are available.

Large donations include $300k from the Jim Parke Foundation and $50k from the Flora A. Coghlan Family Trust.

Campaign staffers also are working to each achieve 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, which would open the organization to additional funding, said Maggan Walstad during a June 22 meeting to update the community about efforts to build a new pool.

"When it comes to applying for grants, even though the city is a nonprofit entity, they do no explicitly have a 501(c)(3) designation, and so this year we applied for our own designation and should hear from the IRS in about 30 days to get a determination letter. Once we do, catchy granger, the grant writer for the city, and other organizations should broaden our ability to apply for grants."

Time is ticking on grants already awarded, Casterline said. One grant, worth $250,000, will evaporate if a new pool is not completed in the next two years.

"If we do not have a completed project, we lose that money, and possibly the state of Montana loses that money," Casterline said. "That money could be allocated to another state. Montana State Parks and FWP is pushing on that with me right now. So, when it comes to that, we've really got to be aggressive because that money is not in our pocket yet. The tough thing about pools is you cannot do it in phases. This has to be start to completion. We can't do this and do that. It has got to be done."

POOL CONCEPTS

There are options when planning for a new pool. Interstate Engineering has been contracted to provide design alternatives for a new pool, with different price points.

The first alternative is for a six-lane pool, and would cost about $3.1 million to complete. The second alternative is for an eight lane pool, and would cost about $3.3 million to complete.

With $1.5 million to $2 million more needed, fundraising efforts continue. Upcoming fundraisers, which do not yet have firm dates, include BBQs hosted by both Albertson's and Reynolds, the annual "Swimming Under the Stars" event, another iteration of "Yard Wars," and Wine Flight and Charcuterie Night.

For more information, visit valcopool.com.