Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry The Youngsville Borough Council is standing by its decision to keep the pool closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the Youngsville Borough Council stood firm on its decision to keep the pool closed.

In March, council announced that it would not open the Brokenstraw Valley Swimming Pool this season. Trying to enforce the COVID-19 regulations at the facility was the main consideration.

On Monday, council members heard some opposition and explained their positions.

“If it comes down to 50 people that’s allowed in the pool,” Peg Yeager said, “why couldn’t we have a sign-up sheet? If you want to be in the pool, you sign up the day before.”

“That number is half of the capacity minus the 6-foot distancing,” Mayor Scott Nelson said. “The concession stands are closed. The rock wall is closed. The slide is closed. The CDC says we can’t clean those effectively.”

The 50 figure is actually a step up.

“At the point we made the vote, we were only allowed 25 percent,” Nelson said.

Yeager and Hilda Haehn spoke for a small group of citizens who attended the meeting. They said young people need something to do and the pool would help fill the void. They also said there are days when fewer than 50 people show up

Council members agreed, but “there are days when there are 200 up there,” Nelson said.

“I applaud you for coming tonight,” Nelson said. “I understand your plight. We’re in a position where our hands are tied.”

He spoke for all of the council members in saying they did not want to close the pool.

“Believe me, we’re not happy about it,” he said.

Haehn said she had a pool and the young people that used it knew her rules.

“You aren’t governed by the CDC or the Department of Health that can come and shut you down,” Nelson said. “Last year, there was no question, the health department said, ‘it’s closed.’ I can guarantee you, the health department will be visiting our pool if we are open.”

Haehn admitted that the young people didn’t always heed the rules.

The visitors asked, since the pool is going to be shut down anyway, why the borough isn’t making all of the needed repairs.

The answer was simple. “To upgrade that pool, bring it up to current standards, it’s $1.5 million,” Council Member Rick Brewster said.

The decision to close the pool does not impact any other borough facilities — playgrounds and pavilions will be open. Nelson said there will be about two Music in the Park performances each month, too.

Nelson said he believed there would be about two performances each month.

There was no agenda item regarding the pool and council took no action on the matter.