Waitsburg Parks & Rec announces pool levy on November ballot

WAITSBURG – On June 16, the Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District announced it is running a levy on the November General Election ballot to fund the district and facilitate the reopening of a Waitsburg community pool. The announcement took place at the proposed site of the new pool facility.

Waitsburg Parks and Rec and Friends of the Waitsburg Pool have raised over $90,000, selected a new pool site, identified a builder, and had the site confirmed for viability through a 2-D hydraulic flood study.

"We are ready to jump in and build Waitsburg a new pool," said Bart Baxter, chairman of Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District. "Over the coming months, we will be facilitating community conversations about how we take this foundational work to get shovel ready and make our dream a reality. This includes a successful Waitsburg Parks and Rec levy on the November ballot."

The levy rate proposed will be 89 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value, and if passed by the voters, will contribute about $200,000 per year to the Waitsburg Parks and Rec district to fund the district and facilitate the reopening of the community pool. This is the same amount, $200,000 annually, as what was approved in neighboring Dayton for its pool last November.

Waitsburg Parks and Recreation is working to build a new lap pool, approximately 4,190 square feet in size, with a water depth ranging from 3 feet, 6 inches to 7 feet. It will feature six lap lanes with starting platforms and a zero-entry, shallow-water program area.

The estimated construction cost of a new pool ranges from $2.1 million to $2.5 million. 

The current cost proposal does not include the bathhouse, mechanical rooms, site work, excavation, site drainage, utilities, decks, walkways, landscaping, lighting, and fences.

The levy amount will not cover the entire cost of building the pool, which the district aims to keep at less than $3 million. The Friends of the Pool will continue to work relentlessly to privately fundraise, write grants, and pursue larger funding opportunities. 

District commissioners anticipate being able to operate the pool within the annual $200,000 budget based on the budgets of similar pools in neighboring communities.

"The Waitsburg Parks and Rec levy on the November ballot represents a vital investment in our future, with funds dedicated to building a new Waitsburg pool - a space for families, kids, and neighbors to gather, cool off, learn to swim and create memories for years to come," said Wendy Carter, Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District.