BLUE BELL AQUATIC CENTER DELAYS OPENING OUTDOOR LEISURE POOL
Problems encountered with the improvements at the Blue Bell Aquatic Center have delayed the opening of the outdoor leisure pool for at least four weeks. The leisure pool was to open Memorial Day weekend for the summer, but now the opening is set for Saturday, June 23rd. Tammy Jaster, Supervisor at the Aquatic Center says that contractors working on the outdoor pool have run into significant problems due to the age of the pool and that has forced the delay. The contractors anticipate completing their work on June 19th, and the pool should be filled and ready to open on June 23rd.
The Floats-n-flicks movie scheduled for May 31st has been moved to Hohlt Park. Also swim lessons and water babies scheduled between June 4th and June 21st will take place at the indoor pool.
Jaster says that due to the late opening of the leisure pool, they plan on keeping it open longer at the end of the summer. She says that they will be posting the extended hours in August.
Amazing and humorous to me how mad and ugly people can get over a swimming pool. Just like anything else in your life, things break and then turn out to be more of a repair than you plan for.
Here is a little creative thinking for some, as that seems to be a thing of the past. When I was growing up here in Brenham, sure we had the old city pool, that is now where the library is located. We got to go maybe once ever so often, but the kids I grew up with would rather grab a water hose and some balloons and make our own water fun than go float in a urine pit. Maybe if you would just grab a water hose with your kids and spend a little time in the yard you find out like we did it was much more fun. Of course, now I am going to here about wasting water and some dog ate a bust busted balloon, so I will just leave this for what it is. But I am pretty sure the City is not out to get you by not having a pool ready what you wanted it.
They’re waiting for a part to come in, which means, they didn’t order it till it was already close to the end of the school year, i.e. the summer. If that’s not a total disregard to who the pool is actually supposed to serve, than I don’t know what is, because our taxes keep this place open, but it doesn’t look like they want any of us there!
It’s poor planning. They should have started this sort of construction on the outside pool months ago! And to start the construction before all the necessary equipment was ordered and shipped! Are you kidding me? It seems like the City of Brenham thinks our tax dollars are good enough, but not our actual persons, otherwise they’d put our community first, and actually provide us a pool since our taxes have already paid for one! And stop saying this construction couldn’t have waited till after summer, I mean, I don’t want to call you a liar on top of being incompetent. And seriously, people should move out of our wonderful town of Brenham because our city let us down? How entitled are you? Because maybe people who care about their children’s summers and what their taxes are paying for should stay, and those who’d rather “pretend” this wasn’t a poorly mismanaged pool and that our elected officials are above reproach should be the ones to leave!
They DID start some time ago. Articles have said they’ve found new issues leading to the delay.
And again – there are two other pools open. My question is… is the natatorium not a pool?
Yes, it isn’t outside, yes it’s cooler temps… but it is a pool. Not having the leisure pool doesn’t mean the kids don’t have a pool for a few weeks.
Another Perspective….Maybe you don’t visit the pool but children over 4 are not allowed in the therapy pool. And as far as the lap pool it is up to the aquatic center’s discretion whether you get to use it or not. If there are events, swim team practice or school swim team they don’t allow children to swim. In fact I read the website schedule and took my 5 and 6 year old to swim one day and was turned away. I think you need to do a little research before you defend the situation.
WOW!! All these comments on the city pool. I wonder how many people commenting here are going to go to the pool this summer?? Looks to me like the city got a break with the problems being found now and not at a later date. I bet that would provide a bigger headache and more money. Like any big project you never know what you got till you tear into it. I would think the city officials are not happy, but what can you do. Better to fix it now and be done with it. Pass by there a lot and it always looks clean and neat. Seems to me the city is doing a good job on the up keep. But if any one thinks they could do a better job, just run for office!!
Um yes, I commented and I always use the pool every summer with my children. So yes I have every right to be mad. This was planned construction. Therefore- plan it when its not summertime. Duh. And this is not the first time they have closed the pool during the summer for something that could have been done another time. There is no other option in this town for the kids to swim seeing how the country club is too expensive!
I’ve walked on the grounds around the area and there have been some HUGE cracks in the ground not many see from drought over the years.
You wouldn’t know unless you looked, and it’s likely this occurred between drought and flooding – shifting and settling dirt. As you say – duh, it could still have need this way even with your proposal.
As I’ve said Figures: they could’ve done this months in advance and this still occur. The other two pools are open just don’t have the bells and whistles of the leisure one.
Maybe some catfish got stuck in the drain.
Really wish they would not have closed down the old pool, just to try and open a new one that they said was going to be better for the community. The old pool was always up and running and the kids and parents enjoyed it so I don’t even know why it was closed really wish it was still here all the pool parties that were there and etc.
The city needs to get their act together! Maybe it’s time for a new leader at the aquatic center!
Honestly have folks thought about a lot of why this also may have been delayed? We have folks who wear cotton shirts in the pool, which clog drains and lead to damages like this one. Same with soiled diapers and other items that have NO reason to be in the pool. I personally refuse to swim in the leisure pool seeing some of the stuff I’ve seen tossed in the restroom that was clearly in the pool.
Weather is going to affect the pool, even with routine maintenance. Concrete expands and contracts leading to fissures and other damages that must be repaired for safety.
Yes, the natatorium and therapy pools are not the same but they are pools and open up year ’round. And yes, they should’ve done the repairs far earlier than this.
But look at the larger picture folks – even if everything was done early, there still could’ve been these damages that closed the pool for four months. They could’ve also opened on time, someone get seriously hurt from these (or drown) and between the lawsuits and everything, we don’t even have the leisure pool again.
One additional note – it says in the story the contractors are running into problems. This means they ARE working on the pool. Please stop comparing them to the group who was supposed to be doing the restrooms and clearly is shirking their duties. I drive by the pool every day and for the most part there is at least someone working on the leisure pool.
I’m not sure what the timeline was for this project or when the start date was but I think they started on the outdoor pool only recently. Why would they not have started last September or October so in case there were delays there’d be plenty of time to extend the project? Is there anyone with any common sense running the show?
Agreed. This is another embarrassment for the city of Brenham. First the Fireman’s Park restrooms, now this? I’m afraid to ask what will be next. It is time for some accountability, and reprimands being handed down to these directors as they would be in the private sector. Let’s see if the new city manager will be any better at this than his predecessor.
Once again Brenham has disappointed. Why in the world are they waiting until summertime to do repairs on this pool??? This should have been done months ago so it would be done before the kids got out of school. As a parent I am very sad that my kids and all the other kids in the community will now have to go half of their summer before getting some pool time. We buy a summer pass every summer to swim at the aquatic center and now we don’t even have that option. Shame on you City of Brenham. And yes I am blaming the city on this one! Get it together Brenham if you want us to spend our money here.
I’m not sure how the old pool that used to be next to the library managed to be open for all the hours and all the days that it was…it was ancient but yet this one is newer and supposedly better and it isn’t open NEAR as much as that good old pool was..
I am sick and tired of everybody attacking the city an how they are doing things. You go on this forum and rant and rave about how terrible the city is and you have no idea of what the facts are. You read a news story and automatically assume that city employees aren’t doing there job. Why don’t you run for office or take the time and research the facts and then comment. For the most part all city employees do their best to make sure that this city is second to none. If you think Brenham is so bad why don’t you move somewhere else. We won’t miss you…..
While I acknowledge the above post has some level of merit, at the very least this looks like really poor planning. You know you have a leisure pool that people count on in the summer and yet you begin major work with just days to spare before it is supposed to open. Seems like someone should have done a better job in planning and executing this project.
It is a money pit, for overtaxed city dwellers. This gift should have had yearly maintenance fees included. The therapy pool is a chemical hazard due to the reaction of high amounts of urine in the water. Lap pool is to cold for children’s swim lessons. It is a good facility for the schools competition swimming and a fun leisure pool for 2-1/2 months out of twelve, that’s about it. Perhaps it is time to start thinking outside the box for a solution to this money pit.
I am amazed out how many people want to blame the giver for the gift. In this case, the city and numerous citizens expressed a desire for a swim complex. They ASKED! A very generous corporate donor stepped up and gave them what they asked for in a very kind and thoughtful way. (This particular donor has done many great things for our community and it’s institutions.) They never forced the city to take it. If the city does a poor job managing the center or it’s ongoing maintenance projects, it is most certainly not the fault of a generous donor.
WOW just WOW ! ! ! Poor Poor management on the CITY STAFF ! ! ! It don’t effect them and they probably all have pools so invite all without a pool to your house and have bbq and hotdogs or heck even the great grilled cheese would be nice! Who’s gonna take the blame for this problem? Hmm I bet it’s the lack of responsibility on the great city council we have or is the just another lie covering another lie! Just a shame!!!
This is why our tax dollars are spent in other towns and citys because Brenham can’t keep anything operating decent and if I hurt anyone’s feelings I’m not sorry because I tell it like it is from the ground up! Let’s get some painted faces to volunteer to get this situation resolved so the kids have a place to go for the summer time.
The City Council and its employees have again failed to keep their contractors on schedule. The bathrooms at Fireman’s Park and now the Aquatic Center Pool. How poorly are these contracts written?
It’s Amazing how Brenham had a City pool that was cheaper and Always managed to be open. This pool is to new to already be having improvements. This should have been done any other time than kids getting out of school
Wow again!?! Last year it was road construction that kept the pool closed for 2 weeks in the middle of summer. Who is planning these things? Kids have so few things to do here in the summer and you are taking something huge away. This is beyond frustrating and disappointing.