Background: The Colusa City pool has been in operation for more than 50 years. Years ago, it was THE place to be on a summer day. For the last 10-15 years it has been a drastically under-utilized community asset, partially because there isn’t a square inch of shade nor a single chair to sit in; only concrete and sunshine. Also, due to budget constraints there is no heat other than the sun and the pool is filled with well water at 60 degrees so the pool has historically been pretty chilly for children and adults alike. Residents often comment that they’d be more inclined to take kids to the pool if there was somewhere to escape the sun…. somewhere to sit while the kiddos play. In 2020 the Colusa Swim team had its first team in 7 years with 84 swimmers at 3 different practices, 4 days a week for the full summer. In addition, the team secured full scholarships for 9 kids in need. This resurgence created excitement and pride in the community as the swim team started in 1971 and had long been a valued tradition. As a result of swim team’s success, the city parks and recreation department has committed to more pool hours and more services for the 2021 season. These include free adult swim in the morning, more sessions of swim lessons and scholarships for underprivileged kids, longer hours in the evening, Sunday hours of operation, etc. The swim team is back at it again in 2021 with 87 swimmers this summer and 2 new coaches. This year through very generous donation from individuals, general community support, and a $15,000 donation from the Dale Townzen Memorial Fund, the city was able to acquire new pool covers and reel, and a new lane line reel. Also, the swim team has 17 kids on full scholarship! In a community where 74% of our K-12 students qualify for free and reduced-price meals at school, the scholarships are a valuable asset to the community. In addition, the city has been improving the pool maintenance and has fixed a few leaks which has led to drastically warmer waters so far this year (May 2021). Water temperatures were in the 60s last year and have been between 71 and 74 with both the pool covers and decreased need to add water. The City Pool is also slated to receive the addition of a splashpad nearby within the coming 18 months. The project is currently in the design stages and has received enormous amounts of community input. Needless to say there’s a LOT of attention focused on the positive energy at the Colusa City Pool. Our goal is to build on this momentum. Rotary seeks to support this excitement and support water safety for youth with two specific upgrades to make the pool and pool deck more attractive, usable, and accessible. 1) Commercial Picnic tables, umbrellas, and loungers for seating and shade to encourage more families and kids to come, stay, and enjoy the pool. 2) Pool solar heater installation. Colusa Rotary Club has secured a ~$7500 donation of 4 year old heater equipment. We have a plan in place with the city maintenance staff to build the required structure and integrate the heaters into the existing pump system. This grant would cover the roof structure and plumbing materials to install and integrate the donated solar heaters.
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