City officials tell Action News it's simply a budget issue ... the city does not have enough money to operate this pool and four others like it. Residents are unhappy.
Fuseball is a great indoor activity. So are arts and crafts. And when it comes to burning off extra energy there used to be a small pool, no deeper than 5-feet here at the Pinedale Community Center for these kids.
Pinedale resident, Tommie Contreres said, "The children don't have anywhere to spend the time now. They can't come here."
"Sad and upset. My kids can come swim here anymore," said Pinedale resident, Gloria Alvarez.
The City of Fresno closed it because the money isn't available in the general fund.
Parks Director, Randy Cooper said, "Tough time and limited resources."
Cooper says Pinedale and four other pools at Einstein, Quigley, Romain and Fink-White were closed because they cost too much to staff and operate.
"We had to make a calculated decision with the limited resources we had to which pools we could open up to give the citizens of Fresno the best return on their dollar as they give us to invest. And that was to open the four standard size pools," said Cooper.
There are still four public pools available to the public for a one dollar entry fee. Through a grant the city is able to open these pools to residents for free when the temperature hits 105 degrees.
The grant also allows the city to guarantee four of its 17 community centers will be open as cooling centers between the hours of noon and 8:00 p.m.
The city is pushing residents to take advantage of their new splash parks. Currently there are two with a third one opening up in downtown.
If residents want the learner pools to reopen Cooper says it would cost at least $70 thousand to do so.
