Despite fears of a lifeguard shortage, Lords Park pool to reopen next year
Residents on Elgin's east side are getting their community pool back.
Lords Park pool is slated to reopen in 2024 following unanimous approval by the city council for a plan that involves spending $500,000 to repair and renovate the pool that has been closed since the end of the 2019 season.
Both of Elgin's outdoor pools closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. When limited capacity was allowed, the city reopened the larger Wing Park pool to accommodate more visitors.
By the time all restrictions were lifted, the city said it couldn't staff all three of the city's pools, which include the indoor facility at the Centre of Elgin.
City officials dedicated the 2023 season to surveying residents about their desire to reopen the pool vs. re-imagining the facility and possibly transitioning it to a free amenity like a splash pad that could be converted into an ice rink in the winter.
The surveys and public forums reiterated what many council members were hearing from residents: They want their pool.
While the vote was unanimous, most on the council agreed there was some risk calculus involved. In addition to the estimated $500,000 for repairs, the annual budget to operate the pool is $250,000. And Elgin Parks and Recreation Director Maria Cumpata said the city must hire someone to assist the current pool supervisor and hire and train the 55 new staff members needed.
Also, the price of admission is expected to rise to $10 for residents and $12 for nonresidents.
"It's a $750,000 experiment for next season," council member Dustin Good said. But he lamented the costs families will have to pay to visit the pool versus redesigning it into a free amenity like a splash pad.
"I'm in favor of this experiment," Good said. "I think we do need to see what the realities are in terms of hiring."
Mayor David Kaptain said there was only one way to find out if the city could make it work.
"You can't do anything unless you open the pool," Kaptain said, adding that the lifeguard shortage is affecting towns everywhere.
"The council got pretty well beat up from the community because the pool closed," Kaptain said. "This is not just an Elgin thing. It's not because we're not trying. It's not because we're not paying enough. There's just not enough interest to come back and do it. It's a nationwide problem."
Cumpata said that if the city can't find enough lifeguards to staff all three pools, it could alternate days that the outdoor pools are open.
All of the uncertainty gave council member Rose Martinez pause.
"This is very difficult. It's a lot of money to spend," Martinez said, though she was hopeful the lifeguard situation would improve as we move further beyond the pandemic.
"Let this fail because it's a bad idea, but don't let it fail because we didn't try at all," she said. "We have the facility. We have people that are interested. Let's call their bluff. Let's do it and see what happens."