The Community Foundation of Pulaski County plans to continue working with the Winamac Park Board on the town’s swimming pool rebuilding project. The foundation’s board of directors got an update last month from Park Board President Courtney Poor, along with town council and pool committee member Judy Heater.
It was the first time Poor formally discussed the project with the foundation board since the town pulled its official support due to budget concerns. In the end, board members decided to stand by the foundation’s two existing agreements with the Winamac Park Board, according to a press release from Executive Director Wendy Rose.
One is a non-permanent fund that allows the park board to receive donations toward the pool’s construction. That agreement ends on December 31, 2020. Rose says the board wants to allow that full length of time for the goal to be reached. Meanwhile, there’s also a permanently endowed fund, to support the maintenance needs of a potential pool.
While many town officials have said they would like to have a pool in town, uncertainty about whether funding will be available to operate it led them to hold off on the project for now. However, the Winamac Pool Committee continues to raise money, so a pool can be built if and when the town’s budget would be able to handle it.
What still remains to be seen is if the Town of Winamac will be required to contribute $150,000 the town council had pledged toward the project, but hasn’t actually paid.
