Another big story from 2024 in Garnett was the swimming pool and all the problems it is causing every year in just getting water in it and opening to the public. City Commissioners recently adopted a consensus to investigate sales tax funding to support bond payments for either major renovations to the garnett pool or construction of a new facility altogether. That move comes after extensive debate about the aging pool’s prospects dating as far back as 2019, when maintenance and operation issues began to distinguish themselves as major stumbling blocks to the pool’s opening in just about each of those summers.
At issue is the likely multi-million dollar expense required for the project, debates over the amount of its actual need in a community most heavily populated by older adults, and its proximity to nearby pools in other communities already trafficked by locals who don’t mind the drive in order to enjoy a more expansive facility.
A 2022 estimate by a St. Louis pool company targeted a reconstruction project at $2.5 to $3.5 million.
