Children swim at Colburn Pool after it reopened to the public on July 14, 2020. (PHOTO/WTAQ News)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – With a hotter than usual July nearly halfway done, people in Green Bay no longer have to find creative ways to cool down. Colburn Pool reopened on Tuesday.
The clock struck noon, and about a dozen kids dove right in with their families on Tuesday. It’s the first time the pool has been open since it closed last June after a pipe burst in the basement – creating a need for $2.5 million in repairs.
“It is exciting to see this pool back open, and being our only facility we’re opening this summer, we’re really excited to showcase Colburn Pool this year,” says Green Bay Recreation Supervisor Ann Moeller, “People are excited and looking for a safe way to recreate and get their kids outside and be healthy, so we’re really excited and optimistic that this is going to be a really positive experience.”
But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some restrictions in place this summer.
“We actually did some calculations to figure out what our capacity should be amidst this COVID-19 pandemic we have going on…We could have over 1,000 people in this pool, but due to the situation we’re in, we are only allowing about 128 people per swim session,” Moeller tells WTAQ News, “We are going to do 3 separate swim sessions per day just to allow as many people that chance to swim as possible…That will just allow everyone to have adequate distancing whether they’re in the pool or on the pool deck, and there should be plenty of space for everyone to feel comfortable.”
Those swim sessions run from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. – 7 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends, the time slots change to 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Staff on deck will wear masks and face coverings. Each shift, there are eight lifeguards on duty. The pool employs somewhere between 30-40 lifeguards in all.
Lifeguard on duty as Colburn Pool reopens to the public on July 14, 2020. (PHOTO/WTAQ News)
“We have extra staff on whose sole job is to disinfect and sanitize and keep things clean,” Moeller says.
She also hopes that they’re as prepared as they can be for the possibility of someone catching the virus.
“We’re going to do as much as we can to keep everybody safe, but of course that’s in the back of our minds and we’ve got our protocols in place in case that is something that we need to deal with,” Moeller says, “We’re trying to keep our staff clustered in teams as much as possible so there isn’t too much overlap…If we are able to open with staff who did not come into contact with each other, we will. But if we don’t feel comfortable with that, we are absolutely going to shut down because we want to make sure that everybody is safe.”
Some visitors we spoke to, like Scott Wagner of the Colburn Park Association, think the changes in rules are fair under the current circumstances.
“I think the city’s got a pretty good handle on it, so I’m pretty confident that everything will be good and well at Colburn Pool,” Wagner says, “You get to enjoy the water for a couple hours I think you have to appreciate that and let the next person get in there to enjoy their two hours.”
We sat down for a burger with Wagner, who held a cookout in the parking lot to welcome people back to the pool for the first time in over a year. He’s lived in the neighborhood for 48 years – and says it means a lot to have people coming back.
“It just means so much to the community and all the members that put in a lot of time and effort to see the kids and the public out here really enjoying the only pool that’s open in Green Bay,” Wagner tells WTAQ News, “It’s a great asset to the community and all the people who enjoy swimming, and the youth in the area, to give them alternative things to do. I think it’s just wonderful that we can enjoy this here in this beautiful afternoon.”
But what was it like inside the fences as the pool reopened?
“Everything’s looking good we have a good turn out for the first half hour. It’s looking like the pool is going to be a lot of fun this summer,” says lifeguard Byron Rodriguez, “I hope this summer is going to be a good one and everybody should come out we are only allowing about 100 or so people so you need to get your position as quick as possible.”
Mark San Miguel visits Colburn Pool with his children after it reopened to the public on July 14, 2020. (PHOTO/WTAQ News)
Mark San Miguel was visiting with his family. He’s just happy to finally have a chance to get the kids out of the house and cool off.
“It’s crazy and I’m very happy to be here. You get to go out and have fun with the kids and everybody’s being safe,” San Miguel says, “At home, there’s a lot of stress. Kids just want to get out, and you feel bad for them when they want to go out and play – especially during school vacation and summer time, they deserve to be out.”
Admission is $3.50 per guest.
To check out the full pool reopening plan, click here.
