A recent annual inspection of Macomb's Glenwood Pool, which was built in the 1940s, revealed the need for a more in-depth inspection prior to the 2026 pool season.
The Macomb City Council recently approved the city to move forward with the inspection, at a cost of $13,000, by TVM Engineering, an Illinois Department of Public Health-licensed firm to determine the extent of repairs needed to open this summer. According to Mayor Mike Inman, during the annual inspection, it was decided that, due to the age of the pool, a more thorough inspection was necessary from an IDPH-licensed firm.
'It is our intent to open the pool as scheduled; however, if the inspection reveals more significant issues, we'll have to discuss the cost to remedy the problems before we can move forward,' Inman noted.
While the pool operates at a loss each year, the mayor said the city is committed to having a community pool as this adds to the quality of life for residents. He has heard the numerous requests for a new pool, water park or splash pad.
'It's an expensive undertaking. For something other than a rectangle box in the ground filled with water, an attraction with other attributes than a standard pool, we'd be looking at a minimum of $4 million,' he explained. 'There are grants available from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that will pay upwards of 10 percent toward the costs, like Beardstown and Rushville received, but you also have to have the ability to pay for the operations after it is built. We have lost money annually, but we believe it’s a quality-of-life issue, so we're continuing to repair what we have.'
Inman added that the pool has been on his top 10 list since he took office 15 years ago, and like other city improvements, it comes down to cost. The pool's operations are paid from the city's general fund, and like everything else, costs continue to rise for chemicals, food for concessions, repairs, wages and more.
'We have incredible management under Megan Pittman. She's brought so much to the pool in terms of lessons, new programs and great employees,' Inman stated. 'It's a really fun place to go to and we want people to continue to enjoy Glenwood Pool. And because we believe it contributes so much, we have been committed to keeping the price of admission low so everyone has a chance to enjoy the pool.
When Pittman took over as pool manager in 2023, she implemented a new fee structure that reduced the entrance fee from $6 to $2 per day to make the pool accessible to more families and encourage frequent visits. To ensure continued accessibility, the entry fee has remained at $2 per person.
When the pool was built in the late 1940s, the creators had the foresight to create tunnels to allow easy access to the piping system, Director of Public Works Alice Orhtmann told The Community News Brief in an earlier story about the Macomb pool. At some point, the concrete interior was lined with aluminum that could be painted to preserve its functionality.
'All of this helps us to maintain the pool's integrity, though it does take lots of TLC and diligence to ensure we remain up and running,' she said.
Updates and schedules can be found on Glenwood Pool's Facebook page.
