'It's just a shame it sits here': McCarty Park pool won't be open for the summer due to repairs, limited resources

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Public pool season in Milwaukee County is just about a month away, but there's unfortunate news for families in West Allis -- the pool at McCarty Park will not open for the summer. 

District 16 County Supervisor Justin Bielinski recently made the announcement on social media, saying repairs are needed to for the slide and there are other budget issues and limited resources preventing the pool from opening. 

"I don't yet have the cost estimate as to what the actual repairs are needed, but it was something over $10,000," Bielinski told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White. "Once the pool broke last year, the attendance had dropped down, and so it indicated there was some revenue loss related to that which played into the decision."

Bielinski said he's waiting to receive the full repair cost information from park officials.

However, even if they were somehow able to cover the costs, he said it would be too late.

"Even if we got the donation to pay for the repair, I'm not sure that that in and of itself would cause the pool to open, just because they've already allocated their limited lifeguard staff to a different location," Bielinski said.

He did confirm that the Cool Waters aquatic park, which is located about four miles from the pool, will be open.

"I'm just as disappointed as you are and I'll be continuing to have conversations with parks, but I wouldn't want to get people's hopes up that there's really going to be opening up this year, just don't see that happening, unfortunately," Bielinski said. "I will do everything I can, and I think the administration wants to do everything they can to get it open next year, and hopefully that does happen."

Bielinski added that in the future, he's hoping to get more money from the state for "structural reform in terms of revenues."

"Our parks, typically the revenues exceed how much we devote in tax levy to them, because it's a non-mandated service," Bielinski said. "But when it comes to parks, it has to be revenue-generating, and I think that's unfortunate in terms of what parks should be. Parks should be for everybody."

Judy Merkovich, who was at McCarty Park with her grandson, said the closure is a major loss for the community.

"I used to come here when I was in grade school, and they've redone the whole pool, it looks fantastic with the slide, and now it just sits here and it's not being used, and that's really a shame," Merkovich said. "It's just a shame that it's not open for the summer... I think for the purpose that it serves for all the kids in this area, and there's a lot of kids in the area, it would be money well spent."

Officials said the wading pool, which is run by a different management team than the big pool, could still open.