The final public input session for Seymour’s five-year parks master plan is scheduled next week.
Members of the community are invited to attend the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Shields Park Pool, 703 N. Park St., Seymour.
Although the conversation will include discussion about the city’s parks overall, it will dive deeper into goals of what people want when it comes to aquatics facilities.
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Thursday’s meeting will be facilitated by Administrative Resources association of Columbus.
Shields Park Pool is now 30 years old and reaching an age where it needs repairs and updates to continue to be used in the future, said Parks Director Stacy Findley.
Now is the perfect time to start thinking and talking about opportunities for the city to offer new amenities, such as a splash pad or even an indoor pool, Findley said.
Over the past three months, the city has been collecting feedback from the community through a parks survey.
More than 600 responses have been submitted and are being compiled into the first draft of the master plan, which will be completed and submitted to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Outdoor Recreation in October.
In those responses, a splash pad and a new kiddie pool have been listed as priorities by the community, Findley said.
Besides guiding the development of the city, having an up-to-date master plan also helps the city access state and federal funding opportunities for the parks.
After the city adopts the plan, a final version must be submitted to the state by April 15, 2021.
Two other public meetings took place this summer at Westside Park, which is being targeted for major improvements, and Gaiser Park, which will be the location of Seymour’s first official pickleball courts and new inclusive playground equipment and flooring.
Besides aquatics, other potential future parks projects include an indoor recreational facility, additional basketball and volleyball courts, more shelter houses, public art, more trails and a sensory park.
Behind the scenes, there are some discussions taking place about a possible partnership between the city, Seymour Community School Corp. and Schneck Medical Center to fund a new community aquatics center.
Shields Park Pool manager Dave Boggs addressed the Seymour Redevelopment Commission in July to make them aware of some of the needs of the city pool.
Boggs also is the swim coach at Seymour High School, where a pool renovation project will take place in the next couple of years.
He said one solution could involve the city helping with the high school pool project so the facility could be expanded and used year-round by the community for swim lessons, lap swim, open swim and other programming along with hosting club swim meets.
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What: Final community input session for the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department’s five-year master plan
When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Shields Park Pool, 703 N. Park St., Seymour
Who: Open to the public and press
On the agenda: Discussion to focus on community’s goals for aquatics
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