Town Pool Not Exactly Making a Splash with Some

Dear MapleWould,

I thought I'd write to you about my serious concerns regarding one of the “funnest” (per my young daughter) aspects of summers in Maplewood — the pool.

As avid members for the last 5 years, we go to the pool every opportunity we get. We renew our membership as soon as possible — despite the rising membership fees — and we’re there several times a week. So this past Sunday we happily trekked out with our towels, large blanket, sunscreen and goggles to join our fellow Maplewoodians for a fun afternoon at the pool.

Sadly, both my 7-year-old and I were both dismayed by how dirty everything was.

The paper towel holder had not been fixed since last summer. A few of the toilets still had broken toilet paper holders and one huge roll was sopping wet for layers and layers. The sink faucet that couldn’t be turned off last summer had barely been fixed so I had to turn and turn and turn before it finally shut off. And don’t let me get started on the floor. Wow. We were both so thrilled to have had the foresight to wear our flip flops to the bathroom.

We walked out and back to the middle pool, and once again, I was struck by the smell of urine, only this time it was coming from the area by the fence.

The pools look as beautiful as ever but upon closer look and feel, there are all kinds of debris floating in the water and the bottoms of the pools scraped the sole of my daughter’s foot.

So now I’m not only upset, I’m very confused. Why has no work been done to fix up this wonderful asset of our town? What do our high-priced dues cover if not the regular maintenance and upkeep of the pool?

Please let us know if you can get some answers and timelines for when things will be fixed.

With thanks,

A concerned mother and swimmer

Dear CM & S,

I heard similar reaction to the facilities when I was at  this past Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, too, and judging from Maplewoodonline, you're not alone.

On a positive note, I did notice new shower heads in the ladies room (Last year 'showering' was more a Russian roulette game of not knowing if the stream would be strong and focused enough to pop out an eye or so piddly as to render trying to rinse off soap an exercise in futility.) The fact that most stalls still lack working curtains does curtail the thrill of proper water pressure, though.

For insight into your plight I turned to town’s very responsive , who sounds equally concerned about your concerns regarding our pool facility’s current conditions:

“We are very aware there are problems but always appreciate feedback,” says Rague, who is often at the pool several times a day during the summer season. “We
have quite a few new members on staff this year and we are training them to be
much more attentive to the issues raised.”

Some of the hurdles the staff face are undeniably related to the fact that the facility is 45 years old. One such problem is the peeling paint that pops up in the locker room floors. (Rague explains that aged cement in a constantly wet state is a tough match for any new paint layer, which will inevitably peel. Thanks to a water spray situation in the Men’s room opening day, the process has already been accelerated for this season.) He also contends that cleanliness concerns are being given top priority; he’s personally addressed them with the staff and says you can expect to see immediate improvement going forward.  

(I also think it’s worth noting much of the staff is made up of local kids, and I know my kids have a very different idea of cleanliness than I do — all the more reason for tough training. Judging from the photos I took that show the same toilet Tuesday, Wednesday evening and again Wednesday after I’d made a line through the gnarly grime with a tissue, the staff assigned to bathroom patrol should seriously brush up on their idea of cleaning up.)

The broken paper towel rack in the ladies room is on order and will be replaced as soon as a new one arrives. As I noticed, the shower faucets were changed - with high efficiency heads - and the new curtains ordered were to have arrived this week. As soon as they’re received, Rague says they’ll cover the stalls...and those using them!

In terms of the overall dues, George attributes rising costs to the reality of inflation when it comes to maintaining the aging facilities and purchasing chemicals to keep pool water in swimmable shape. As for the value of the membership, Rague maintains we’ve still got a relative deal, “I believe it was the City of Summit that took a survey last year of 12 area pools,” he explained. “Maplewood is still one of the most affordable, especially when it comes to the family membership.”

In April, the Town approved . Rague says that the Town is in the final stages of signing off on plans, will be putting bids out this summer to select a contractor, and will be starting work on the exterior facilities mid-September.

But that shouldn’t keep you from voicing concerns when conditions warrant attention —

“The pool always has a manager on duty,” says Rague. “If you have an issue you should ask to speak to one – we welcome the feedback and will do our best to rectify the situation.”

So there you have it, and let’s keep our fingers crossed that the rest of summer goes swimmingly well at our pool — and know your letter will have played a role in that positive outcome!