The future of Livingston’s historic outdoor pool remains uncertain after nearly two hours of discussion at Tuesday’s City Commission meeting.
The city’s outdoor pool closed Aug. 12 after its final season. Commissioners met Tuesday to discuss the facility and what could happen to it moving forward.
The meeting agenda included a blank motion directing the city manager to take an unspecified action regarding the city’s outdoor pool.
That decision came after extensive public comment, with residents offering different perspectives on whether the city should invest in the aging facility.
“This is an emotional plea for our children,” one community member said.
Another called the pool “a historic treasure.”
Some residents said they would support additional taxes or assessments to fund improvements.
“I'd love to see a new outdoor pool. In fact, I am willing to see my taxes raised to accommodate that,” a community member said.
Other residents questioned how the closure process unfolded and said they felt they had not been adequately informed.
During one exchange, longtime resident Melanie Maganias, who previously organized a community effort to save the pool, raised concerns about whether city officials had overstepped their legal authority. Maganias was told to leave the podium.
Aging infrastructure
City officials have pointed to the condition of the 77-year-old pool as a major reason for its closure.
The city says the pool operated for about 65 days this summer. According to the city, unidentified leaks result in an estimated 700 to 1,000 gallons of water loss every hour.
The city has also identified problems with the pool’s water circulation and chlorination systems.
During Tuesday’s meeting, one community member described the pool as “a perfect example of deferred maintenance in our city.”
Another acknowledged the difficulty of letting go of a longtime community facility.
“Unfortunately, like things, it has an end date and sometimes that's hard to accept,” the community member said.
City Manager Grant Gager said the pool has experienced problems for decades.
What happens next?
Commissioners discussed several possibilities, including potential assessments, additional community engagement and whether the outdoor pool could remain open.
Commissioner Jessica Wilcox suggested the city did not need to make an immediate decision.
“I think we don't need to do anything today about the pool. It can just sit there until we get more input,” Wilcox said.
By the end of the discussion, commissioners did not vote to reopen the pool.
Instead, the pool will remain closed while the city considers options for the property and seeks additional community input.
The city has previously said the pool was not funded beyond August 2026 and that there were no finalized plans for what would happen to the facility.
The City is expected to continue the conversation about the future of the property with community members in the coming months.
