Overland Park joins list of Kansas City area cities closing pools due to COVID-19
With the approach of Memorial Day weekend, the traditional time public pools open for the season in Johnson County, Overland Park has joined the growing list of cities that will keep them closed this year.
Concerned about the spread of COVID-19 among visitors and the logistics of social distancing restrictions, the Overland Park City Council voted Monday to keep its five outdoor pools closed.
“This is a really hard decision because we are a pool family, but this is a bigger decision than just my family,” Councilwoman Holly Grummert said. “It’s for the safety of our community, for feasibility and for timing issues for our community and what is the best decision considering all of those elements.”
Also on Monday, the Leawood City Council voted to open the city’s aquatic center in June, with restrictions. Elsewhere in Johnson County, both Lenexa and Shawnee are considering opening only one pool each.
Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Mission and Fairway have decided to keep their municipal pools closed.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has pushed back the date when public pools can open in the state, until at least June 1. But under her reopening plan, municipalities have the authority to issue stricter rules.
In Missouri, Independence decided to cancel its pool season, closing the city’s Adventure Oasis Water Park. Kansas City, Lee’s Summit and many other cities are still considering whether to open aquatic centers and public pools.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread in chlorinated pools. But there are many other surfaces and gathering areas where the virus could spread, officials said.
City leaders across the region have decided that the public safety risks would be too high. Parks and recreation staff have said it would be difficult to keep visitors six feet apart, as well as require lifeguards — many of whom are minors — and other staff members to wear masks and continually sanitize surfaces.
“These are going to be kids, high school kids, that will be face-to-face with the public,” Overland Park Councilman Jim Kite said. “It’s not about being in the water.”
Councilman Chris Newlin emphasized that as public spaces reopen, coronavirus continues to spread.
“With too much unknown, I don’t think it’s a smart decision (to open pools),” Newlin said. “If there ever was a summer where we needed to take into consideration every single resident, young, old, sick or not — and how this virus spreads, because it didn’t stop today. It just hasn’t. If we can do our part to keep it slowed down, I think that’s the right thing to do.”
The Johnson County Swim and Dive League has canceled its 2020 season.
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 12:38 PM.
