MANSFIELD — It won’t be such a dry summer after all in Mansfield.
The City of Mansfield, Mansfield City Schools and the YMCA of North Central Ohio-Mansfield are collaborating on a plan to open the Malabar Intermediate School pool to the public on two dates in June, with the potential for additional dates during the summer.
The indoor pool will be free for public use on June 18 and June 25 from noon to 4 p.m., according to City Council 2nd Ward representative Cheryl Meier, who announced the plan Tuesday evening during a council meeting.
The open swim sessions will be free to the public.
The city’s only public pool at Liberty Park was closed in 2021 due to the need for costly repairs to the aging facility. An income tax proposal to fund the city’s “master plan” for parks, including a new $8 million pool and aquatics center, was rejected by voters on May 3.
Meier, chair of council’s parks committee, and Mark Abrams, the city’s parks & rec superintendent, recently met with city schools Supt. Stan Jefferson to work out plans for the public usage of the Olympic-sized pool at Malabar, 205 W. Cook Road.
“The YMCA will supply the lifeguards. The schools will supply the pool. And we will welcome people with open arms,” Abrams said.
“The schools said we could have more (open pool) dates in the summer. We decided to try these two and gauge the response. If turnout is good, we will see about adding more,” Abrams said.
Abrams said he was told the school district recently replaced tiles and performed other upgrades.
“It’s a really nice facility,” he said.
In other activity Tuesday, City Council:
— heard about a “Responding to Addiction in Richland County Town Hall” at Malabar Intermediate School scheduled Thursday, May 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services Executive Director Joe Trolian said it’s the second in a series of seven such sessions being planned around the county.
Trolian also accepted a proclamation from Mayor Tim Theaker, designated May as “Mental Health Month” in the City. The theme for the month is local health, local hope. Click here to learn more about events during the month.
— voted 5-2 to approve changes to administrative and operational guidelines for the Downtown Improvement Advisory Board, formed after voters approved a $5 increase in license plate fees in 2018. The board, which receives around $220,000 per years, had only made project recommendations to City Council in the past. The change will allow the board to make funding decisions for projects costing $25,000 or less without prior council approval. 4th Ward Councilman Alomar Davenport and 6th Ward Councilwoman Kimberly Moton cast the dissenting votes.
— approved the rezoning of a portion of three parcels on John Long Street to I-2 (general impact industrial district). The parcels are located along U.S. 30 on the city’s north side. The move will allow Flats Capital Co., LLC, to convert its billboard on the site to digital.
— approved appropriating $36,660 from the unappropriated law enforcement fund for METRICH operational expenses.
— approved the appropriation of $641.25 from the unappropriated capital equipment fund to buy police exercise equipment. It’s part of a larger $17,000-plus purchase, according to Davenport.
— voted to accept a $50,982.31 grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services to be used for a portion of the cost of a family violence liaison officer. The grant requires a 25 percent local match in funding ($16,994.10).
— approved a $63,728 contract with Lake Erie Electric, Inc., of Mansfield to install underground conduit for lighting in the parking lots around the Municipal Building. Funds for the work will come from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds. The work needs to be done before the lots are repaved.
— approved a request to spend $937,742 for six new city trucks, all of which can be used year-round and also for snow plowing in the winter. Plans include two Freightliner 108SD dump trucks ($368,310), two Ford G650 trucks ($340,548) and two Ford F550 dump trucks ($224,884). Funds to pay for the trucks will come from a combination of American Rescue Plan Act revenues, street maintenance capital account and the sewer repair capital account.
