SPRUCE PINE – The Spruce Pine Town Council heard multiple public comments from concerned citizens Monday, June 8, about the Brad Ragan pool and public restrooms at its regular session.
Town officials announced this past month the pool would not open for the 2020 season due to “the uncertainties of COVID-19 policies at a state and local level.”
“There’s five pages of regulations if you’re going to open a pool,” Harding said. “Five pages of regulations that have to be followed and they’re pretty stringent. I mean, with that, and given the current situation that we’re in. Everywhere is not back open. COVID is still a threat.”
Spruce Pine resident Valerie Blevins, the wife of former Brad Ragan Pool operator Dale Blevins, said she has been “bombarded” by people in the community about the pool closure.
“I’m a teacher and it just kills me for all these kids and it kills everybody that these kids have nothing to do and they’ve been locked up since March,” she said. “I love Spruce Pine. I grew up here and I hate to see nothing for these children.”
Blevins explained research she had conducted on how to open the pool, including two-hour increments and reservations, and asked the council to reconsider reopening the pool for the season.
Mayor Darla Harding held her ground on the topic, however.
“I would love to think that everybody coming in would be law-abiding and do everything to a tee, but I have been around a long time now and that does not happen,” Harding said.
Many residents also raised concerns in regard to public bathrooms, which are closed due to Governor Roy Cooper’s stay-at-home order.
Local resident Lynn Holler voiced her anxiety about public restrooms in downtown and the parks not being open and putting pressure on local businesses to open theirs.
“One of the main ways that you can stop the spread of COVID-19 is washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water and that’s not available to people shopping downtown or at the park,” she said. “That seems pretty significant, like a public health issue, with bathrooms.”
Canipe said there had been no state or CDC guidelines in regard to public restrooms, but he had spoken with the Mitchell County Health Department who advised him they should be cleaned after each person.
According to Canipe, public bathrooms and playgrounds will open when the state enters phase three of reopening.
Canipe also floated the idea of putting portable toilets in the parks and downtown areas in the meantime, but said they would have to look into the legality.