Council directs staff to draft ordinance creating a pool advisory board after petition drive

Katie Gauthier presented a proposal to form a swimming pool board to coordinate fundraising, grant applications and long‑term planning for pool improvements. She said many nearby towns of comparable size have volunteer advisory groups or boards that helped secure grants and major rebuilds, and she reported collecting signatures in support (she said she has the 140 required signatures and noted she had over 200 gathered previously, though some were outside the six‑month window).

Council members generally supported moving forward with a formal, city‑created advisory board rather than leaving work entirely to an informal group. A motion directing staff to draft ordinance language to create a pool board was made, seconded and carried. Council asked staff to prepare draft language for an advisory board that would provide recommendations, assist with grant research and fundraising, and report back to council. Katie said the group would focus initially on near‑term accessibility fixes (for example, a pool lift), small repairs to the wading area, and longer‑term capital planning because larger rebuilds could reach into the millions if delayed.