Groups weigh uses for city pool site

By RODNEY MINOR, The Leader-Herald

GLOVERSVILLE - The Recreation Commission and the new recreation committee formed by the Common Council will develop a vision for the Littauer Pool site on West Street.

At the commission meeting Monday, 1st Ward Councilwoman Robin Wentworth said members of both groups should share ideas at the next Recreation Commission meeting in August.

"There is a lot of work to do," she said. "But we need to start with some ideas and reach a consensus on what we want to do [with the area]."

At its last meeting, the Common Council agreed to form the committee to help the Recreation Commission. Committee members include Wentworth, 2nd Ward Councilman John V. Castiglione and 4th Ward Councilwoman Ellen Anadio.

Anadio said School House Pools of Amsterdam is determining the cost of repairing Littauer Pool and comparing it to the cost of installing a new pool. She said the information should be available at the next commission meeting.

Previously, the commission estimated the cost of repairing the pool at $10,000. The cost of operating the pool for six weeks was estimated at $30,000.

The Recreation Commission received a $25,000 donation last year from the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation when the commission was planning to restore the pool.

Commission Chairwoman Catherine Mueller said it will be important for the two groups to determine how to use the money.

Members of the commission and committee agreed Monday they first must determine what should be done with the pool and its pool house.

Wentworth said if the pool is not used, much of the pool house would not be functional. Most of the space in the pool house is a dressing and showering area for the pool, she said.

A number of ideas for the pool site have been considered over the past year. One idea was a skate park, but that plan was put on hold.

The groups also agreed Monday to determine what to do about a recreation director.

At least two ideas to restructure the Recreation Commission have been suggested. Both involve hiring a part-time recreation director. City officials said the commission would function more efficiently with one person in charge.

The city had planned to hire a director since July 2007, when it approved setting aside more than $8,000 for a part-time director's salary. Around $4,000 would come from the Fulton County Youth Bureau.

However, a few months ago, the city decided not to post the civil-service job because the city was considering finding another way to have someone run recreation.

The other idea involved having the Gloversville Enlarged School District's director of health, physical education and athletics, Mike DeMagistris, serve as the part-time city recreation director.

City officials recently said they are waiting to hear back from the school district about a recreation program involving the school district.

Also Monday, both groups said they want to conduct meetings with city council members and residents to determine what should be done with city parks.

Rodney Minor covers Gloversville. He can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com.