Briggs Pool in Oneonta’s Wilber Park officially opens for the season at the end of June.
The pool is slated to have its opening day from 1-7 p.m. on June 27.
Oneonta Public Works Director Chris Yacobucci said Thursday, June 13 that everything seems to be going as planned as the Public Works crew prepares Briggs Pool for opening day.
Yacobucci said that no major renovations are necessary in the pool area this year, and while they are on track for the opening date, there is still a lot of work to be done.
“Right now, we are doing normal yearly maintenance, cleaning the pool and cleaning up the walls. We had some holes we had to patch, and we are just generally getting things up and running,” he said.
The pool budget for 2024 is about $150,000. Yacobucci said that roughly $85,000 of the budget is set aside for the YMCA aquatic services. The remaining $65,000 goes toward chemical purchases, equipment repairs and general maintenance.
Free pool passes with proof of residency are available from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. from June 10 through June 27 at the Oneonta Family YMCA and at the Wilber Welcome Center.
Non-residents must pay daily admission to the pool area — $1 for children, $3 for adults or $8 for families.
Seasonal non-resident passes are also available — $25 for children, $50 for adults or $75 for families.
Briggs Pool and Oneonta YMCA Lesson Coordinator Stephanie Kozak said in an email on Monday, June 17 that she feels it is really important for kids to head to the pool in the summer.
“Swimming is a lifelong skill,” she said. “Every kid should be able to swim and also learn the skills necessary to save themselves in an emergency.”
The YMCA is scheduled to host Safety Around Water week, four days of free swimming and water safety skills instruction for all preschool and youth levels, at the Briggs pool on Mondays through Thursdays from July 29 to Aug. 1.
Kozak said that the week-long instruction is in memory of Stephen Quigley Lyden, a Briggs pool lifeguard, lifeguard instructor and swim instructor who died in 2015.
She said the program focuses on safety rules of pools, lakes and streams using the Red Cross curriculum, including a day focused on boating safety.
“The kids always love this week as do the instructors,” she said.
Registration for Safety Around Water week and swimming lessons at Briggs pool opened on June 13.
Both residents and non-residents can pick up pool passes at Wilber Welcome Center, YMCA front desk or access them at www.oneontaymca.org