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Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 78F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..
A clear sky. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
The Rainier School District held swimming activities at the Briarcliff Pool in June.
A lifeguard keeps a close watch on swimmers during the Clatskanie Pool's open swim July 4.
For the first time in several years, the Briarcliff Pool in Rainier is set to offer summer swimming and to resume operations as a community resource.
The Rainier School District held swimming activities at the Briarcliff Pool in June.
A ribbon cutting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. July 12 for the grand opening of the Briarcliff Pool on the Rainier Jr/Sr High School campus in Rainier.
According to Rainier School Board minutes, the Briarcliff Pool was closed on August 23, 2019 dur to a decrease in state funding in addition to the cost to run the pool.
“The Briarcliff Pool has been a huge benefit to this community; especially in light of the fact that we live on the Columbia River,” Rainier School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Hattrick said. “The board, district, and community believe the pool is an essential service for our community specifically to continue to provide the opportunity to compete on our swim team, and to equip children and adults with skills that will keep them safe in water. As a river community, this is essential for this great community.”
Previously there had been a negative $250,000 fund balance for the pool which the board made a transfer from the general fund in January of 2021 to bring the pool to a zero balance, according to Hattrick, who said the transfer was based on an audit recommendation.
According to Hattrick, $75,000 was transferred from General Pool Fund to the Special Pool Fund. Additionally, various grants will help support the pool operations with a total budget around $200,000.
“We will review budget revenues and expenses as we reopen to modify as needed,” he said. “We have altered the fee schedule in hopes to better support regular operations and make pool membership more competitive with surrounding areas.”
The Rainier School District (RSD) is the sole operator of the pool. All employees are RSD employees and the pool staff, district staff, facilities, and custodian all support the pool.
Hattrick said operating a pool is very expensive, but he credits the district staff conducting “a remarkable job with fiscal responsibility and decreasing expenses.”
“So much so that this year we have been able to add positions when other districts have been forced to reduce staffing,” Hattrick said. “Being fiscally conservative will help this program as well as others to continue to serve this community.”
The district has established a budget, staffing model, and fee schedule for the pool that Hattrick said will have a positive impact on continuing its operation.
“One thing we found was our prices were far too low in the past, so while some prices will be increased, they are now competitive with the prices of other pools which will make the pool sustainable,” he said.
The pool fees, schedule, and programming were being finalized this week and were to be available on the district website after July 6.
“While we will offer free swimming during our Grand Reopening on July 12, all other times there will be fees on per-use or seasonal basis.” Hattrick said.
The Briarcliff Pool director is Destinee Ryder and the assistant pool facilitator is recent Rainier High School Graduate, Jeremiah Duplessis.
Hattrick said the district was finalizing the hiring of the pool’s lifeguard staff this week.
He credits the planning and training to get the pool opened again to the support of the Longview YMCA Executive Director Janine Manny.
“This year we entered into a formal partnership with the YMCA to provide YMCA Summer Camp to YMCA children and Rainier Students on our campus,” Hattrick said. “Little did I know that this partnership would blossom into such a powerful partnership.”
Hattrick said the pool staff have all been certified in first aid, CPR, and lifeguarding, and students are offered the district’s 260-acre campus during a variety of summer camp and summer school opportunities.
A lifeguard keeps a close watch on swimmers during the Clatskanie Pool's open swim July 4.
The Clatskanie Pool has launched its new 2022 summer season.
The facility at 346 NE 5th began its 2022 operations with a free swim June 25 as part of the community's Heritage Days celebration.
Clatskanie Parks and Recreation's Cyndi Warren said the pool opened with a modified schedule June 27, offering morning exercise, lap swim, pool walking and open swim.
The pool opened Tuesday, July 5 offering a full season of regular weekly lessons scheduled Mondays through Fridays. See the full operating schedule with fees at the pool’s website.
The pool will be operating with 17 lifeguards this summer.
"That is five more than we have had the last two years, so we are very pleased," Warren said.
Warren said the Clatskanie Pool offers a specific benefit to the community.
"The benefit of our swimming pool is to teach kids how to swim and to be safe in the water," she said.
The Clatskanie Pool is 90-feet long, 60-feet wide, and holds approximately 135,000 gallons of water.
The pool was built in 1958. Over the years it has aged, and significant repairs were needed.
Renovations completed in 2021 include resurfacing the deck, resurfacing and repainting the pool, replacing of the old tile gutter system with a stainless-steel gutter system. The wading pool has been replaced with a splash pad and multiple pool piping issues including failures, potential failures and existing leaks were addressed.
The pool is funded through property taxes.
"We do collect fees for services but those only cover about 15% of the total operating budget for the swimming pool each year," Warren said. "The planned operating budget for the swimming pool is approximately $200,000. This amount will cover one season, plus part of the next season since the District is on a fiscal year."
Warren said it's difficult to pin down an exact number of public visits to the pool, "as many of our patrons come more than once day, but I would say (the summer attendance) is in the high hundreds to low thousands."
For more information about the Clatskanie Pool, call 503-2757 and visit the pool's website for updated schedules and fees.
The Briarcliff Pool is located at 28168 Old Rainier Road in Rainier. For more information, call 503-556-4217.
“The board, district, and community believe the pool is an essential service for our community..."
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