“It is a shame that Martin County was the second-largest coal-producing county in the state, and we don’t have a swimming pool to offer our children in the summer.” –Della Adams Castle
BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County Fiscal Court’s plan to fill in the public swimming pool and replace it with a splash pad drew public comments from six residents in a public meeting Friday hosted by Judge/Executive Colby Kirk.
Of the six, four opposed filling in the county swimming pool.
Resident Nina McCoy expressed concern that without the swimming pool, a splash pad would serve a smaller portion of the community.
“Young people, very little ones, would like this, but as they get older, they wouldn’t,” McCoy said. “I know we haven’t used this correctly in the past, but we did at one time. My kids learned to swim there.”
Nina McCoy asked Kirk if he had talked to the school district and other entities, such as a summer youth program that might help to transport kids to the pool in the summer.
“That would possibly be jobs for kids that work there, the bus drivers, the school or summer program,” said McCoy. “I’m just hoping that there is a way that we could keep the pool. I would love to see a splash pad right next to it.”
McCoy said she understands there are costs in operating the pool, “but it would cost a lot to build one right now, too, and to throw one away is just a little bit sad.”
The fiscal court voted unanimously to fill in the pool and apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the National Park Service during a May 19 meeting. The court’s goal is to reduce operational costs as the county would not have to pay to treat water or staff the pool with lifeguards.
A flyer posted on the government center door alerted residents to Friday’s meeting for public comments.
None of the magistrates attended the meeting.
“I think the last time the swimming pool was open was maybe in 2016,” Martin County Judge/Executive Colby Kirk told residents Friday. “I was teaching high school and was driving by it a lot back then. I think the community center was trying to operate it. I don’t think they were able to operate it at a profitable level, and that’s why it didn’t open the subsequent season.”
Kirk said he wanted something more affordable for the county to operate.
“With the cost of chemicals for treating a swimming pool and repairing the plumbing and pumps, I wanted to get the most bang out of our buck and have something more sustainable,” said Kirk.
The application for the $122,787 grant was due Tuesday.
“We will submit all public comments as part of this,” said Kirk, adding that he would conduct a second meeting due to the public’s interest in the project. “As long as we have those comments recorded by the end of July, they will be included in the same application.”
According to Kirk, the splash pad would be open to the public at no charge, and operating costs for a splash pad would be about $10,000 a year — one-fifth of the cost of running the swimming pool. The county would use single-county coal severance funds to match the grant 100 percent.
Resident Mickey McCoy said comparing the operational cost of a splash pad versus the swimming pool was “apples to oranges.”
“This is free, but the pool generates revenue,” Mickey McCoy said. “I’m glad you’re going after a grant for this, but I’d rather see a larger amount of money to refurbish and fix everything about that pool … I see filling in the pool as a step going backward.”
McCoy worked at the pool the first three years that it was open.
“I know it can stay busy,” he said. “And I know that we can keep politics out of the hiring process. … We need to fix it and use it … This is called ‘change,’ and change does not always bring progress.”
Resident Bethany Tackett commented.
“Like you said, the pool has been closed a very long time,” Tackett said to Kirk. “I think the last time it was open, I was a freshman in high school, and I’ve been out of school for three years. Rather than letting that area sit unused, it should be utilized for something that the kids can benefit from.”
Resident Della Adams Castle said she was unaware of the grant application until Friday morning.
“Martin County and Eastern Kentucky would benefit from a water park,” Castle said. “Now, at the soul center of a water park is going to be a swimming pool.”
Castle said she is not against a splash pad in any way.
“I think our children in this county deserve that and so much more that we can’t afford to give them,” continued Castle. “It saddens me that we have children here who will never leave this area, will never know what it’s like to go to a Wilderness Lodge and get to experience staying in a hotel that has an indoor-outdoor water park, or travel and go to the beach where every hotel now seems to have a pool as well as a lazy river.”
Castle said residents leave Martin County to travel to pools in surrounding counties.
“It is a shame that Martin County was the second-largest coal-producing county in the state, and we don’t have a swimming pool to offer our children in the summer,” said Castle. “That’s sad. That means there’s been no planning, there’s been no accountability from the people who live here and previous administrations. … We work hard to pay these taxes, and we have nothing as a return in this county.”
Castle believes the general consensus is to keep the pool and add a splash park.
“We don’t want to fill in a pool when it would cost us millions of dollars to put in another somewhere in the county,” she said.
According to Castle, Magistrate Derrick Stepp told her the cost to reopen the pool would be about $12,000.
“For the service and recreation it provides for this county, that’s a small cost,” stated Castle. “There was a program, a summer work program for college students, and that’s how we used to staff our swimming pool here in the county. … I think Martin County would be able to investigate further and see if that program is still available.”
Resident Madison Mooney was in favor of keeping the pool and getting a splash pad.
“A splash pad and a pool would be a great combination for our community,” Mooney said, adding that she has been on a new lifestyle journey to get her body in better health.
“When I began this journey, one thing that I wished we had here was a pool,” said Mooney. “For people who are plus-size, who are trying to get more mobility and become more active, it’s hard sometimes, especially when you haven’t moved those joints and ligaments in a hot minute. A pool would have been a great step for people who want to get their health back and get their life back.”
Mooney said a community pool would get residents more physically active.
“I advocate that so much because I know a pool can help other people, especially people who are not comfortable going to a gym or class,” she said. “A pool is a way to get that mobility back … A splash pad would be great to get kids active and moving, but we have to think of the older generation too.”
Resident Jarrod Slone said a splash pad would be more fun for kids.
“In the last 10-12 years, the pool has been refurbished,” said Slone. “It was painted; they put new pumps in, new liner, all that stuff. Outside entities have come in to operate it, had events, activities and things like that. It was utilized, but I don’t think, economically, it’s a feasible option. A splash pad would revolutionize that area and be much better for the kids.”
Nina McCoy pointed out that spending one-fifth of the cost would only serve one-tenth of the community.
“So it might be worth more to pay five times if you’re serving more of the community,” said McCoy.
Castle noted the fiscal court had been looking at a trail system to bring people in for tourism.
“Why can’t this be part of the tourism?” she asked. “If we’re the only county in a five-county area that has a pool and splash park, doesn’t that make it more marketable and appealing to a family?”
Residents can submit comments until July 31 at Martin County Fiscal Court, P.O. Box 309, Inez, KY 41224.
A public meeting is set for June 21 at 2 p.m.