Letter to the Editor -- Grant City Pool & Parks

Thank you to all that purchase season and daily passes to our pool and visit the concession stand. This is what partially allows the city to keep the pool open.

For the past few years the option of opening or closing the pool has been a topic of conversation at our council meetings. The pool is NOT a money maker for the city; in fact, it loses money every year and has for the past 10 years or more. The city does not even make enough money to pay for the water to fill the pool. We also repaired and updated our pool a few years ago with a lot of volunteer labor and donations from our community, surrounding area and even some outside the area that used to live here or were lifeguards at the pool in the past and it is all much appreciated! We want to keep the pool open if possible for the enjoyment of our citizens!

It is a public service to our community in more ways than one! It gives our children and those in the surrounding area a place to go and have fun in the summer. It also gives summer jobs to many in our community and surrounding area which allows them the opportunity to earn money for college, learn how to provide quality customer service and helps them grow into the adults they need to be before stepping out into the real work force and the world in general.

Please keep in mind when visiting the pool that our guards are teenagers and just learning, please treat them the way you would want someone to treat your child if the circumstances were reversed. They deserve your respect, they are there taking good care of your children and doing their best so please let them know that they are appreciated and encourage them when you can, leaving high school and becoming an adult is difficult enough, please be positive and help them on their way! If you have an issue with something at the pool, please contact a city council member or city hall, the guards do not have the authority to make decisions or handle issues, they are there to keep your children safe!!

We added some different options this year, but it has always been that a family pass is for those living in one household (up to five this year). They can be a foster child or someone in your care if they reside in your household but please do not ask that we allow multiple families on one pass. We also added the option of adding additional people in case you have more than 5 in your household along with the option to add a grandparent for $15 so they can take their grandchildren to the pool if the parents are not available. 

We also hold Red Cross certified swim lessons and water aerobics for those wishing to participate and have purchased table and chairs for people to utilize while they are at the pool. Another aspect of the expense for operating the pool are the chemicals it takes, they are very expensive to purchase especially during these difficult times. If you have any ideas on different events we could do at the pool, please get in touch with one of the council members or call our city administrator or city hall, we are open to all ideas and would welcome volunteers to coordinate and host events at the pool or park area. If you would like to see a slide or fountain, become involved and coordinate with the city to host a fundraising event specifically for those items. 

I was recently told by someone that they were thinking about taking their kids/grandkids to a bigger pool with a slide and a fountain since we raised our season pass prices and that is your choice. But please keep in mind that if we can get a healthy place financially with the pool we would be able to purchase a fountain or slide for our children to enjoy.

Our parks are another area where we are making improvements. When the opportunity for a Dollar General Store came along and the most viable place to locate it was next to the busy highway, we made the decision to allow them to use the area where the old city park used to be, and we established a new park right next door to accommodate our community! The sales tax revenue from our local businesses is what keeps us going!

We used to have a basketball court at the site of the new Fire Station but deeded that land over to the fire department to be used for emergency services. We felt having quality emergency services provided for our citizens was a priority!

The city crew is currently working on replacing the old sand volleyball court with a new multi-purpose court that can be used for basketball, volleyball, bad mitten and any other sport you can utilize it for and we hope our community and surrounding area get many years of enjoyment out of the new court! I would like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to all the city crew and those that volunteered to assist them with the new court. Your efforts are appreciated!

The pool and parks are there for your enjoyment, please help us take care of them!

It is time for a positive change! If you want to see more improvements, get involved! We as a council cannot do it alone. We all work full time, have families and other activities the same as you. We need your support to remain and become more successful! It will not happen overnight, but we can make it happen with the right attitude!

Thank you!

Debbie Roach, Mayor

City of Grant City

City Administrator- 660-564-2102

City Hall – 660-564-3369