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The Rockbridge Report is produced under the supervision of the Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communications at Washington and Lee University.
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Lead supervisor:
Prof. Claudette Artwick

Reporting supervisors:                  Prof. Doug Cumming

Prof. Bob de Maria

Technical supervisor:

Michael Todd 

By Rob Armstrong

The Lexington City Council has agreed to allow construction of a year-round pool adjacent to the existing summer pool next to Brubaker Field, but has not decided who should bear the costs.

At a meeting of the physical services committee Wednesday, council members agreed to allow a citizens group to build the proposed covered pool. Thursday night, the council unanimously approved that decision, according to City Manager Jon Ellestad. But this still leaves open two major issues, according to Ellestad: How much the city will share, if at all, the estimated $300,000 construction cost and who will operate the pool.

The new facility would be available for public use, and could possibly be supported by both the city and county.

City pool manager and Rockbridge County High School swim coach Leslie Ayers initiated the proposal, on behalf of a citizens' group called "FOR Swimming." In a presentation to the council committee Wednesday, Ayers said that she has already received over $60,000 in private donations for an enclosed pool for use during the colder, non-summer months.

Ayers, as summer pool manager for about a decade, is on good terms with the City of Lexington. When she began as manager, the troubled facility was only paying for about 50 percent of its costs, for example, with user fees. But since Ayers has been manager, the summer pool’s rate of return has climbed to 82 percent, saving the city more money for the facility’s maintenance.

But the city council still hasn’t decided how much control the city should have over a new pool, since it expects at least half of the new facility’s patrons will be county residents.

Ellestad, at the Wednesday committee meeting, suggested Lexington should share financial commitments with Rockbridge County, including maintenance and capital financing in the form of a five-year, $50,000 grant.

Some council members, including Tim Golden and Jack Page, were hesitant to support a capital contribution.

“The city would be providing a service that should be a service between the city and the county,” Golden said. “We have a new capital investments plan, with a new courthouse and other projects…nothing in [the plan] says anything about a pool.”

But Ellestad strongly supported the move, arguing that a year-round pool is a recreational activity for the whole community.

“[A year-round pool] could be used broadly…by virtually everyone in the community,” he said. “It has the potential to benefit a large demographic and has a greater use to all age components of community, more than any other recreational investment.”

Golden and Page were especially concerned about year-round maintenance of a facility that, they argued, likely won’t pay for itself.

“I don’t want this to become a white elephant,” said Page.

Even Ayers, who is a strong advocate for a new pool, admitted yearly maintenance could get costly.

“I agree that [the project] is a bit of a leap of faith,” she said. “But there are individuals in this community who have already donated more than $60,000 with only the hope that someday we’ll have a pool…it’s encouraging.”

While a final agreement of financing was not made, city council members, including Golden and Page, were supportive of a move to split costs halfway with the county.

“I cannot support the capital contribution,” Golden said. “But if the county is willing to share the risk of the costs, then I’d rethink my position.”

“I think it went well,” she said. “We needed to have confirmation that we can continue with fundraising, and that they accept our proposal [to build at Brubaker field].”