Friends group hopes $25K donation will help Dormont Pool open in 2020 season
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The Friends of Dormont Pool organization is donating $25,000 to the borough in the hope the money can be used to open the community’s popular swimming pool this summer, which would mark its 100th anniversary.
It remained unclear this week whether the financial contribution would prompt borough officials to reconsider their earlier decision to keep the pool closed out of concern about the covid-19 pandemic.
The Friends group announced the donation last weekend, after Gov. Tom Wolf indicated community pools may open under modified health guidelines in counties like Allegheny that are in the “yellow” phase of stepping down from pandemic-related restrictions on social and business activities.
As part of the announcement, the group asked borough council to “commit to and develop a rapid recovery plan to be ready as opportunities present themselves to safely open the pool this summer.”
Friends President John Maggio said he wants the group to work with the council to “bring a little bit of fun back this summer in a safe way and help alleviate the stress everyone is feeling.”
Council President Jeff Fabus referred a request for comment to borough manager Ben Estell, who didn’t immediately respond to email messages.
In a May 14 letter posted on the borough website, the council and Mayor Jason Walsh noted pools at that point were not permitted to open in the yellow phase.
But they also expressed concerns about complying with guidelines for safely operating public pools, as issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The borough officials suggested it would be “nearly impossible” to adequately sanitize facilities and shared objects without increasing staff and that it would be equally difficult to keep children who aren’t related to each other at least 6 feet apart.
They noted there are no reliable tests available to confirm daily that staff working at the pool are free from covid-19 infection. Also, they said lifeguards should not be expected to monitor social distancing on top of their normal duties and note they would be at risk for being infected if called upon to render first aid to a patron.
The council and mayor suggested a possible delayed opening of the pool later in the summer wouldn’t be a good use of taxpayer funds, noting the pool might have to close again if a resurgence in covid-19 cases returned the county to a more restrictive “red” phase.
Maggio noted the Dormont Pool is “one of the largest outdoor pools in Pennsylvania. Based on the size of the pool and the (adjacent) grass, it would be easy to practice social distancing.”
He noted the pool had a delayed opening in 2006 after the Friends group donated $15,000 to help complete needed temporary repairs.