JOHN DAY — Voters in the John Day/Canyon City Parks and Recreation District will get a second chance to vote on a $4 million pool bond after the first vote in May ended in an 802-802 tie. The measure will be on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election.

If the measure passes, the city has $2 million in state lottery grant funding that will go toward building the pool in addition to the bond funding. The cost to complete the pool is projected to be just over $6.6 million.

The $600,000 remaining after the application of grant funding and bond funds would be covered through a combination of in-kind improvements, extra funds from the sale of Gleason Pool and funds given to the city as part of the Kam Wah Chung Visitor Center project for local improvements. The city expects to have an extra $1 million to contribute to construction of the pool with the funds from these sources.

Proposals by Opsis Architecture call for a 3,200-square-foot pool with a multipurpose room, office spaces, boys’ and girls’ locker rooms and a family locker room. The pool would be built at the Seventh Street Sports Complex in John Day.

If voters approve the measure in November, construction could begin in June of 2023 with the pool opening during the summer of 2024.

The push to put the pool bond back on the ballot started with an effort from a pro-pool political action committee known as Yes to JDCC Swim Center. The group placed a petition on change.org seeking signatures in support of the measure and sent letters to the JDCC Parks and Recreation District board.

Following those efforts, the John Day City Council drafted and signed a letter dated July 26 that voiced support for a second pool ballot measure. Reasons the council gave for drafting the letter of support include the demolition of Gleason Pool, signs that construction cost increases may be tapering off and the inconclusive outcome of the vote in May. All of the council members signed the document and it was entered into the record at the July 26 session of the council.

A joint meeting between the JDCC Parks and Recreation board and the John Day City Council was held on Aug. 9. The parks and rec board voted unanimously to create an intergovernmental agency to oversee the pool’s construction and give authorization to finance a bond.

The City Council voted to create an intergovernmental agency with JDCC Parks and Recreation and provide 50% of the construction costs of the project or $3 million, whichever is less. The agenda item passed, with Heather Rookstool being the lone “no” vote on the council.

Rookstool said she has always been in support of a pool but has concerns regarding the cost of the project.

“I just think we need to, in the current state of our community and county’s economy, look into the possibility of using the state funds they gave us to replace (Gleason Pool) and get us a pool that is functional and able to be used for swim team and lessons,” she said.

Apart from the initial cost, Rookstool is concerned that the community may not be able to financially support the pool as currently proposed.

“Yes, we can get a pool for the $2 million or close (to that amount) and grow it from there as we see where the community and country goes economically,” she said.

Parks and Recreation, for its part, has been adamant that it can operate the pool as proposed without financial hardship.