Faribault Parks and Recreation Director Paul Penansky declared at tonight's City Council meeting the Faribault Aquatic Center will not open this year.

Penansky was hopeful it could happen when the Governor announced last week pools could open with restrictions on June 10.  But he said after discussing what it would take there just wouldn't be enough of a season.

Penansky told the council, "It's going to take once the aquatics supervisor comes back a minimum of three weeks to hire staff, to get the pool up and filled up, balance the chemicals.  Get all that up and going.  That puts us to about July 13th.  Typically our season ends the weekend before Labor Day so that gives us only about a four and a half week season."

Penansky added the restrictions factored into the decision also with 50 percent capacity allowed, "Also a 250 person maximum.  That is going to have a number of people standing outside the Aquatic Center building waiting for one person to leave so one person can go back in the facility."

Penansky said he did have some good news noting the Community Center should be open soon.  "The fitness center will be open possibly by the beginning of next week.  There will be a limit of 5 people at a time allowed inside that room so we will be taking reservations for all the time slots."

"Lap swimming, water exercise and swimming lessons will probably begin the week of July 6th as soon as we can get the staff back to do that.  Pickle Ball will be allowed in the gym.  It'll have to be singles, not doubles play."

The Faribault Parks and Recreation Director stated, "Concerts in the Park are scheduled to resume next week on Thursday.  He added one of the bands had to cancel because they couldn't social distance on the stage, "So we are going to move the band scheduled for this week to July 2 so we will still have a full concert series."

There was no reaction from members of the Faribault City Council to the news.

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