Sun Valley Pool generates $10,000 in admission fees after opening amid budget crunch

LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) – Monday is the unofficial end of summer, and many pools will close for the year.

The majority of Louisville's public pools, however, didn’t even open due to budget cuts. But Valley Station residents are glad the Sun Valley Pool did.

"This summer was really fun, cause I thought the pool wasn’t going to open," said 16-year-old Shayla Slinker, who has been coming to Sun Valley every day since the pool opened July 15.

District 14 Councilwoman Cindi Fowler was not going to let the pool stay empty for the hundreds of people who used it every season. She was able to use $40,000 of her discretionary funds and collect donations to open the pool and hire and train lifeguards midseason.

"I felt like if we didn’t open the pool that it would have never opened again," Folwer told WDRB News on Saturday.

Metro Council member Cindi Fowler — Cindi Fowler, Metro Council District 14

The pool will close for the season Monday, when most pools do. Although it was only open for six weeks, the Sun Valley Pool was clearly missed by those who waited to take the summer plunge.

"I was really disappointed when they said they weren’t going to open it and pretty excited when my neighbor said, 'Hey, they’re going to open it this year!'" said Carissa Heart, who spent Saturday enjoying the pool with her three children — one of them on duty as a lifeguard.

With it being one of the warmest summers the city has ever seen, the 90-degree temperatures were a driving force to help get the pool open as soon as possible.

"It was hot out this summer, too, so that really did take a toll on if we were going to the pool or not," Slinker said.

Financially, the reception to the pool has been far from lukewarm. A $2 admission for children and $3 for adults has earned nearly $10,000 in admission fees during the pool's six-week run.

Fowler has secured $25,000 for operational costs for next year, meaning the pool will be ready to go for the full 2020 season instead of spending a good portion of the summer in jeopardy.

"I am really excited because it is going to be a full season – not just half of it. I am just ready for it," Slinker said.

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