Residents packed California city hall during the Board of Aldermen's latest meeting.
More than a dozen community members visited board members Monday to discuss recent achievements and future plans.
The meeting began with what Mayor Rich Green described as a "happy thing." The board recognized the California Pintos golf team as the 2022 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 2 golf champions.
The mayor issued proclamations from the city to coach Lance Boyd and team members, recognizing their accomplishment. Green further proclaimed this Friday as "Pinto Golf Day" in the City of California and asked parents and other visitors attending the meeting to join the board in congratulating them.
A turbulent discussion over a pool grant for the city took hold of the meeting soon after.
California, more than a year and a half ago, applied for a grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), to help the city build a waterpark. DNR responded in late May. The agency reported that it approved the grant, which is capped at $500,000.
Unfortunately, there have been 18 months of inflation since the city applied.
And the pool, originally estimated to cost $1.7 million, is now estimated to cost $3 million.
The board is hesitant to immediately act on the project due to tax funding.
"I have no problem being for a waterpark, because I think it would be a great draw for the city," Green told the Democrat. "I am very much not in favor of using so much of our citizens' funds to get a grant that doesn't even cover the amount of inflation since we applied."
Former Mayor Norris Gerhart and former Alderwoman Resa Dudley attended the meeting to advocate for the waterpark's construction.
This project would create an outdoor pool with five lanes to be used for school water sports, sprinklers, tube slides and a shallow end for children to play.
Other individuals visiting the meeting expressed either support or opposition to a new pool in the city. Community members Brandi Brockes and Macayla Dean said this would be a great addition to the area. They said the project would give children and their families a place to spend time together without traveling to Eldon or Boonville for such services.
However, resident Sean Farmer noted to the board and fellow visitors he believes it would be a better idea to divert tax money into other areas.
"I don't want to get people's hopes up that we're going to do it," Green said. "We're going to sure look at it hard and if there is any way to do it that won't seriously damage the finances of the city, then I'm for it. But I'm not sure that we can."
After a lengthy back and forth on the status of the grant, members decided to create a pool committee with the intent of having a recommendation ready for DNR by August.
In other action:
Bartlett and West project manager Gary Davis reported to the board the bids for equipment to use in the city's "lift station" project came in $50,000 under budget. The lift station project would increase water pressure in Windmill Ridge, a developing part of California.
Green served as the tie-breaker between board members as they determined the use of Smith Burke Park for the Greyhound bus service. The service would be transporting individuals to and from areas such as St. Louis and Kansas City at no cost to California. The board approved the motion to enter discussions with the bus service. Under an addendum the city could back out at any time.