Waitsburg discusses pool possibilities

WAITSBURG – Since 2023 the Waitsburg city pool has sat vacant due to structural damage, but a proposal put forth to the city council on Wednesday may give the space a new life.

City Administrator Randy Hinchcliffe said he discussed with someone turning the space into an ice rink in the winter, and it makes a lot of sense with facilities already in place. In looking into it he found that there are two types of rinks that could be installed, natural and artificial.

A natural rink would require a much larger investment including freezing tubes, refrigerants, water sprayers and a Zamboni machine. Hinchcliffe said there is a company that offers a natural ice rink rental, but that the city doesn’t currently have the requirements, including a necessary power source for the water cooler, that are needed for the rental.

The company that offered the natural ice rink for purchase quoted $60,715, while the rental company had a price of $131,000 per season. The rental would include amenities such as skates, storage for the skates and the necessary machine to maintain the ice surface.

An artificial rink would cost $29,688 to rent for a season, or $102,166 to buy outright. The vendor, Glice, claimed the rink would last 15 years if properly maintained. The vendor also included many amenities including skates and maintenance equipment. Councilwoman Jillian Henze said she was against using Glice instead of natural ice. She said from her and her family’s experience skating on both ice and Glice, the Glice does not feel the same and is not as enjoyable.

The council approved a motion to explore alternatives for the pool area, which also included using it as a skate park in the summer months.

The Walla Walla County Department of Community Health wants the city to cover up the hole or fill it in. The cover would cost approximately $25,000. Filling it in would cost roughly $33,000 including the fill-in and cement cap on top.

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