By Shereen Siewert
City officials on Monday will decide whether to open one or all of Wausau’s three municipal pools this summer, an issue that has been pending for weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Parks and Recreation Committee will also decide whether to keep city playgrounds open at the meeting, set for 4:30 p.m. Monday in Council Chambers at City Hall, 407 Grant St., Wausau.
Mayor Katie Rosenberg sent out a news release Friday alerting residents to the meeting.
The committee has twice delayed the decision on opening the pools, allowing time for additional data on public safety.
The earliest opening date for pools, if approved, would be the first week of July.
The Rothschild/Schofield Aquatic Center is one of several municipal pools statewide to remain closed for 2020. Weston has not yet made a decision on their aquatic center.
Regarding playgrounds, Dist. 1 Council Member Pat Peckham, who chairs the committee, said play areas were closed at the suggestion of public health officials.
But Peckham said by tearing down caution tape and snow fencing surrounding play equipment the closure was “either not understood or appreciated.”
“The question for the committee Monday is whether to abide by the protective recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and state and county health departments,” Peckham is quoted as saying, in the release. “Having the city park playgrounds open is not in keeping with those recommendations.”
Citizen comments are allowed at the start of the meeting, though participation is restricted due to reduced seating capacity from social distancing requirements. The meeting can be watched from one of two adjoining overflow rooms and will be livestreamed on Wausau’s Public Access channel.
At least a dozen citizen comments have already been submitted, Peckham said, with a variety of viewpoints.
Additional comments can be emailed to [email protected] and will be accepted until noon on Monday.
Between noon and 4:30 p.m. Monday, comments should be emailed to [email protected]. Those comments will be shared at the meeting.
