Pool Update – June 2

June 2, 2020
Yesterday the Governor issued Executive Order 2020-110 ending the stay at home order, and allowing certain businesses and activities to resume, including pools at 50% capacity. Oakland County had previously ordered all public pools closed, but will be revising their order to align with the State. This clears the way for Pleasant Ridge to consider opening our pool for an abbreviated season.

The City Commission will be considering the question of opening the pool at the June 9, 2020 meeting. This will be a video conference meeting, and details on how to participate in that meeting will be posted to the website later this week.

Pool Opening Considerations
We caution residents that there will be lead time necessary to prepare the pool for opening. The community pool is not a light switch that we can flick on and be open for business. The process of preparing for pool season normally begins in March as we get ready for the Memorial Day opening and it is normally a 6-8 week process.

Before we open the pool, we must:

• Hire and onboard lifeguards
• Get lifeguards certified through the American Red Cross training program (not currently operating)
• Physically open the pool (this work is performed by contractors and we are subject to their availability)
• Make any necessary repairs to the pool
• Pass county inspections and water quality monitoring requirements before opening (at least a 10 day process after the pool is opened and repairs made)
• Develop operating plans consistent with social distancing requirements
• Secure the necessary supplies to operate and sanitize the pool area regularly

Furthermore, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the pool will operate differently this year. There are still many unknowns that we have to figure out. For instance:

• How do we allow residents opportunity to access the pool with limited occupancy? We will probably have to create sessions during the day and allow residents to register in advance for one of the sessions.
• How to handle cleaning and sanitizing? We will probably have to have blocks of time in between swim sessions to allow staff to clean and sanitize the area.
• Can we have community furniture? Or will users will have to bring their own chairs.
• Will our lifeguards go back to school early? Many universities, and some public schools are talking about starting school earlier in August. If this happens we could lose our lifeguard staff. If we lose guards, we may not be able to open or may have to adjust to a more limited schedule only on evenings and weekends.

These are just the items we have identified over the 24 hours. There still may be others. We have started working on getting the pieces into place to be able to open the pool. If the City Commission gives the formal go-ahead to open at the June 9 meeting, we will continue to work towards that end. However, it almost certainly will be after the 4th of July before we can open. Flexibility and understanding are a must as we work through, over, and around the many obstacles to open the pool during this extraordinary summer.