No changes to pool rules

There was a sense of finality and a conclusion to a sensitive subject at the Perryville Board of Aldermen meeting Aug. 15. The board made a decision on the proposed swimming pool rules at the Perry Park Center.
The new rules being discussed would have had the pool at the Perry Park Center open with its regular hours, except that from 5-8 a.m., the pool would be only accessible to swimmers 18 years and older, who would have a key fob to access the area.
The time would be considered an open swim with no lifeguards on duty.
Many residents noted that the large majority of the swimmers who use the pool during those early morning hours are elderly, who are more susceptible to health-related accidents.
“You are looking at older people,” Alderman Curt Buerck said during the Aug. 1 meeting. “Anything can happen with them and I hate to say it like that, but it’s the way it is. I would like to see at least one if not two lifeguards on duty during that time, even if we have to reduce the hours of the pool.”
During a meeting earlier this month, it was standing-room only for many citizens who spoke about this issue. Even on Tuesday, the resident comments lasted more than 30 minutes as citizens got their point across to the aldermen. Many of whom, where not happy with the proposed rules.
After some discussion, it was determined that the pool rules would stay the same, with no changes to time or regulations.

Chris Foeste made a presentation in front of the board about Circle Fiber, a new internet provider, coming to Perryville.
Circle Fiber, is an all-fiber service that has previously launched in Jackson and Poplar Bluff. In the coming months, construction on the service is set to break ground. Estimates have it has a six to eight month build-out timeframe.
Once construction is complete, Perryville will be branded as a “Gigabit City.”
“They will be able to compete with any other city in terms of internet service,” Foeste said.There will be three separate packages for residents at 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 1Gbps speeds.
“For Perryville the future is fiber,” Foeste said.
Perryville City Administrator Brent Buerck gave a presentation on what he described as “the great things about Perryville.” It’s a presentation he has given several different times at functions that showed area businesses and services are not just used locally, but nationally in some cases.
In other news, Buerck discussed the Capital Improvement Plan, which held an open house on Aug. 9 and the history of the crosswalk at State and Alma Streets which ends in a grassy area, instead of a sidewalk. Several aldermen would like to see something done about this in the future.