The decision to close Harrisonville’s Outdoor Pool for the 2020 season was a unanimous decision of the Park Board who all agreed that operating the facility in a safe and financially responsible manner would not be possible, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
SAFETY: The number of users at the Outdoor Pool, which includes attendance from several local Day Care organizations and other community groups, is much higher than the daily attendance at the pool inside the Community Center. After careful deliberation, the Park Board agreed that the numbers attending the Outdoor Pool would be of greater concern when monitoring State-mandated social distancing guidelines, and the unknown conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic moving forward.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: A portion of the funding for the Outdoor Pool comes from the City’s General Fund, and with the loss in Sales Tax from COVID-19 conditions, there will be no additional revenue to cover any loss of revenue that is projected each year for the Outdoor Pool. The Community Center is not funded by the General Fund and the entire facility is open year-round, instead of seasonally like the Outdoor Pool. Many other cities have closed their Outdoor Pools for similar reasons, and more closures are being reported weekly.
They understand that this closure will alter the plans of many families during the summer and they do sympathize with you.