West Plains Outdoor Aquatic Center to Remain Closed This Summer

Both outdoor pools in the West Plains Aquatic Center Complex will remain closed this Summer to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, due in part to recent information provided to the City of West Plains from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Following an informal poll at Monday night’s council meeting, three City Council members initially tasked the West Plains Parks & Recreation Department with trying to find enough lifeguards to open. However, Mayor Jack Pahlmann on Tuesday morning decided to keep the Aquatic Center closed after receiving CDC guidelines on opening youth programs and camps during the pandemic. Those guidelines state that an entity should only open if: 1) Reopening is consistent with applicable state and local orders, 2) Children and employees at higher risk of severe illness can be protected, and 3) Screening for children and employees is available upon arrival for symptoms and history of exposure.

With local, state, and national six-foot social distancing mandates in place, Mayor Pahlmann did not feel Parks & Rec staff could adequately enforce social distancing in a community pool environment, in addition to protecting higher risk individuals and screening for symptoms and histories of exposure.

“It’s about the health and welfare of our community,” said Mayor Pahlmann. “As much as we want our children to be able to have access to the outdoor pools this summer, their safety – and those of our employees - is the top priority for us.”