City council sets pool fees

Walton Pool waits for the weather to cooperate and allow the contractor to finish painting and caulking so it can be filled.

Rain, rain go away or there will be no swimming until next year, may be the sentiment of many Nevada swimmers waiting to take a dip in Walton Pool.

It will take at least six and one half days before Walton Pool can be ready for swimming, Randy Marti, administrative services director, told the Nevada City Council during a special noon meeting Wednesday before the council voted unanimously to pass an emergency ordinance on first and second readings to adjust the Walton Pool fee schedule for the remainder of this summer.

The ordinance was considered an emergency because the earliest projected opening date of the pool would not allow the council to hold the normal two readings of the ordinance at least one week apart.

Marti told the council that the contractor still has some caulking and painting to do and then the pool has to be filled, and the water allowed to warm to 78 degrees. Then the chlorine levels will need to be adjusted before swimmers will be allowed into the pool.

And that timeframe is completely dependent on weather conditions. More rain could delay the process even longer.

Council member Jayne Novak said it was important for the public to know how the fee schedule was structured in order to avoid misunderstandings.

For instance, if the pool opens on June 20, the prorated cost for an individual pool pass would be $49. If the pool opens on June 30, the same pass would cost $39. But that doesn't mean that if the pool opens on the 20th you can wait until the 30th and pay $39 instead of $49. If the pool opens on the 20th, the price is still $49 regardless of when the pass is purchased after that date. If the pool opens on the 30th, the price is $39 regardless of when the pass is purchased after that date.