New Paltz’s Moriello Pool opening imminent; refunds to be discussed

A previous swim race at Moriello Pool in New Paltz. (photo by Lauren Thomas)

Moriello Pool in New Paltz should be open by midday, July 7, if all goes well, although the kiddie pool might not be ready for users quite as quickly. That’s according to New Paltz Deputy Supervisor Dan Torres, who made the announcement in lieu of a town board meeting on Thursday night.

The council meeting was cancelled due to lack of a quorum, but Torres lingered to give the pool update. He explained that he and other officials were “frustrated” about the late opening, despite attempts to address the pool’s issues as early as last November.

“The buck stops with us,” Torres said, but noting that there were “lots of promises” made about when the work would be complete, which didn’t pan out. He expressed an interest in discussing the contractor’s performance at a future meeting.

Christopher Marx, who oversees buildings and grounds for the town, said that the “big delay this year” in the pool’s opening was not the liner replacement, which was a known issue, but the failing concrete discovered when the old liner was removed.

Torres called these repairs a “big fix,” contrasting it to the “band-aid” repairs which he said had been used since before he took office. It’s the deputy supervisor’s hope that the $130,000 spent getting the pool ready this year will resolve many of the ongoing issues.

Another topic of discussion for a future meeting is whether or not residents who paid $180 for a season pass should be refunded any of that money due to the later-than-usual opening. Moriello Pool was scheduled to open for Memorial Day weekend. Torres said he was open to a partial refund — he suggested 10% might be appropriate — but that the idea must be approved by a majority of council.