Decorah Swimming Pool will open to the public on Monday, June 29th

The Decorah Parks and Recreation Board has voted in favor of opening the Decorah Swimming Pool this summer.

The board took the action on a 4-1 vote after hearing from Park-Rec Director Andy Nimrod about the steps which would have to be taken in order to operate the swimming pool safely.  Board member Shirley Vermace was the lone dissenting vote.

Nimrod said temperatures would be taken of every person entering the pool.  He admits it would be "a cumbersome process," and says volunteers might be needed in order to have enough people to handle all the work.

Swimmers would all be asked to wear masks everywhere but in the water.  Visits to the pool would be limited to just over 500 people a day. 

Two swim teams would be allowed to use the pool, but there would be no swim meets from visiting teams.  Adult aquacize classes would also be operated.

Staffing might be a concern, says Nimrod, so he's raising the possibility that adults might be hired as guards as well.

Park-Rec Board members had several questions, including about the extent to which people from towns where pools have been shut down for the summer would visit Decorah instead.  Nimrod says that's the biggest concern he and his staff have.

While Waukon and Charles City have closed their swimming pools for the summer, other towns are now opening their pools, including Calmar, Cresco and Elkader.

A number of people spoke to the Park Board Thursday night, with parent Joie La Frentz saying, "parents are begging, kids are begging to not take one more thing away from them."  All those from the public who spoke favored opening the pool.

The Park-Rec Department will need at least ten days to get the swimming pool filled and to determine how to operate the pool.  The Park-Rec Board's vote Thursday night in favor of opening the pool gave the authority to the Park-Rec staff to make the decisions about how to operate the pool this summer.