Cool Waters, and 24 other Milwaukee County pools, won't be opening in 2022
Bob Dohr
Milwaukee County will again be opening pools, splash pads and aquatic centers for the warm-weather season.
But Cool Waters in West Allis won't be one of them.
The aquatic center at Greenfield Park is among those that will remain closed in 2022 due to staffing and funding challenges, according to the county.
Challenges hiring lifeguards are being experienced both locally and nationally, so many municipalities are having to limit the aquatic facilities they're opening, Milwaukee County Parks Executive Director Guy Smith said in a May 19 news release.
Cool Waters was open last year. But that won't be the case in 2022.
"It is a bit surprising and disappointing," West Allis Mayor Dan Devine said in an email. "Cool Waters is a very popular amenity for West Allis and the area. I am surprised because I had heard a few years ago that Cool Waters was the only water park/pool operated by Milwaukee County that turned a profit."
In total, five splash pads, nine wading pools and four outdoor pools will be opened by the county in June, including McCarty Park Pool in West Allis.
That's 18 open and 25 closed. Details about which facilities are open and closed can be found at MKEswim.com.
Cool Waters has the tallest waterslides in Milwaukee County, according to its website, along with a heated pool, children's waterslides, interactive water toys, sand volleyball courts, children's playground, Cool's Café and other amenities.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Anthony Staskunas, whose 16th District encompasses much of West Allis, including Greenfield Park, is disappointed Cool Waters is closing. He said pools are a core function that his constituents expect to be open.
"Frankly, I think the county executive and the parks department should have made it work," Staskunas said in a phone interview. "I know that they'll tell you about lifeguards and finance and budgets and things like that, but to me, the county executive needs to do what needs to be done to open Cool Waters."
Like Devine, Staskunas said it was his impression that Cool Waters had been turning a profit.
It has, but it's been several years, according to the county.
The last time Cool Waters turned a profit was in 2018, Milwaukee County Parks Marketing & Communications Manager Ian Everett said in an email. That year, attendance topped 70,000 and the facility was running at full admission rates and hours.
Overall, the county's aquatic operations do not generate a profit and are subsidized by property taxes or from other departmental revenue, he said.
In the May 19 release, Smith addressed the decision on closures by saying the parks department "worked closely with our partners, including Milwaukee Recreation and the City of Milwaukee, to ensure that equitable access to pools will still be available across the entire county."
Both Devine and Staskunas said they had no input on the decision.
In terms of impact to residents, Devine said the Cool Waters closure could lead to bigger crowds at neighboring facilities on hot days.
"Luckily, last I heard, McCarty pool will still be open," Devine said.
Staskunas said the issue of the county having to close pools started before the current worker shortage and prior to the pandemic.
"This goes back to County Executive Chris Abele and it goes prior to COVID issues when the county started closing swimming pools in the summer, and that was based on or blamed on budget issues by the county executive," he said. "That maybe the pools needed some repair and therefore they didn't want to spend money on repair."
So what's the solution?
"I think we need some creative type of financing, we need to direct more money into the parks department to get these pools open," Staskunas said.
More:Lake Country beaches see shortage of lifeguards for 2022 summer
Contact Bob Dohr at 262-361-9140 or bob.dohr@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BobDohr1.