Blackfoot pool could reopen

The Blackfoot Municipal Pool is trying to keep its head above the water.

Residents in the Blackfoot, Snake River and Firth school district boundaries are lobbying for a recreation district.

The pool closed last November after the majority of residents voted against its funding. Last years outcome hasn’t stopped community activists who are for the revitalization of the pool.

Former Blackfoot Mayor and spokesman for the advocates of the Blackfoot pool Mike Virtue shared the importance of getting the recreation district passed for the pool’s survival.

“If its torn down, replacement costs for a new pool have been estimated somewhere in the neighborhood of eleven million dollars, now if we can’t get a bond passed for three point nine million dollars to upgrade the current facility, seems unlikely that voters would approve eleven or twelve or whatever it is bond to fund a new pool. So we’ve got a facility, we’ve got an opportunity to upgrade it and get it. Make sure there are no game stoppers, make sure that everything that needs to be done before we get to signing petitions and putting it on the ballot is cleared, so we don’t have any issues,” said Virtue.

Creating a recreation district will allow the pool to be funded from a levy using taxpayers money.

Members of this committee will be collecting signatures to put the recreation district on the ballot. They have until August 1st to get 3,000 signatures from residents. These signatures will only ensure that the option for the recreation district is put on the ballot, once its there, residents can vote for or against it during elections. Fifty percent plus one vote is needed for it to pass.

If the recreation district passes, the pool may take two years to reopen.

Virtue says, a majority of residents learned to swim in the Blackfoot pool and that many hope their future generations will get the opportunity to do so as well.