Public should be involved in pool decision

Fifteen years ago a committee began working on ideas for funding a new pool in Worland to replace the 33-year-old Worland Dome. Now, 15 years later, and 12 years since the pool actually opened, there are discussions and plans to dissolve the Worland Aquatic Center Joint Powers Board.

The board has members appointed by the Washakie County School District No. 1 (who owns the land and the building), the City of Worland and the Washakie County Commissioners.

Late last fall, School District Board Chairman and Joint Powers Board Chairman David Tommerup said they were looking at dissolving the board due to lack of members from the county and city. Several years ago, the county and city expressed frustration with their membership on the board feeling they did not have much authority.

In the beginning, according to articles in the Northern Wyoming Daily News, swimming pool committee Chairman Kimball Croft said people wanted a “family-oriented facility where they can take their kids and a place to go and do something.”

Member Carolyn Bies was quoted in one article stating, “We’re trying to get it on the ballot for the 1 percent specific purpose tax. We don’t want people to think it’s a school pool.”

A vision statement was adopted by the committee, “The goal is to establish and maintain an aquatic center to serve Washakie County citizens and visitors with a family atmosphere providing healthy fun, exercise, water safety and competitive events for all ages.”

As the agencies involved with the aquatic center — City of Worland, Washakie County, Washakie County School District No. 1 and Worland Aquatic Center Joint Powers Board — work toward the dissolution of the board, all parties are in agreement that the public pool, paid for by public taxpayers, should remain open to the public.

The residents of Worland and Washakie County took time to get the aquatic center funded and constructed. There seems to be no need to rush the process of dissolution of the joint powers board.

Last week, the city council and City Attorney Kent Richins expressed concern in their interpretation of some of the initial language of the dissolution document drafted by the school district’s attorney.

This week, the Washakie County School District No. 1 Board emphasized their intent to make sure the aquatic center remains a public pool.

It is important to get language correct and procedures in place to ensure the pool remains public now and far into the future, no matter who is in leadership positions with the school district, city or county.

Most of all since it was voted on by the public with the understanding the pool would be open for all Washakie County residents, the public needs to be involved in the process.

Discussions need to be open, decisions need to be transparent and the public needs a chance to be heard whether at council, school board or commissioner meetings or perhaps best of all, a public meeting to outline the plan moving forward.

A public meeting would allow residents to ask questions, voice concerns, while also allowing those involved in the decision-making process to have an opportunity as well to have their voice heard clearly by county residents.