HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-25-26 Public Comment - K. Snow - Pool_Aquatics CenterFrom:Kaelin Snow
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public Comment - Pool/Aquatics Center
Date:Friday, September 25, 2026 11:18:17 AM
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Hello Bozeman City Commission,
I am writing to suggest considering building a pool in Bozeman. I have been a resident here
for over 20 years and have 3 children. We have used Bogart Pool each summer for 15 yearsfor recreation and lessons. The pool is crowded, the facility is outdated, and parking is difficult
and in many ways unsafe.
We often go to Livingston, Great Falls, and Helena to swim because it is a more pleasantexperience.
Now our family is using the Bozeman Swim Center for a competitive youth swim team. We
are unable to have long course swim meets in Bozeman due to the high demand andovercrowding of the pool. The closests pool allowing long course events is in Great Falls.
There are around 5 youth swim teams using the pool at the same time, as well as public lapswimming. It is an incredibly valuable resource to the youth in our community, bringing them
healthy physical activity year round.
My extended family lives in Boise where there are public splash parks, City Pools, a YMCApool, as well as multiple pools in private gyms, and many neighborhoods have their own
pools. Bozeman has a seasonal pool that dates back several generations, and an incrediblyoverused indoor swim center that is home to multiple swim teams, kayaking, recreation lap
swim, water fitness, water jogging, high school PE, and open recreation swimming.
It is my understanding that the City Commission is considering and prioritizing several other community
needs, including affordable housing, a second library, emergency medical services, mental health response/care,
and a fourth fire station. I would suggest a city pool and aquatics center is a cornerstone of a healthy community
that focuses on providing healthy developmental activities for its youth. This is not something that can be put off. It
is timely now. The youth and families of this community have so little in terms of healthy options during the winter
and shoulder seasons, and the Bozeman summers are short. Prioritizing a City Pool and Aquatics Center would
provide a much needed place for the many children and families like ours that want to recreate, train, and enjoy in
it.
Thank you for your time and service to our community.
-Kaelin Snow