The pool finished fiscal year 2025-26 with a $13,230 budget shortfall because of higher utility, supply and maintenance costs, along with unexpected repairs. Photo courtesy of the Butte County Fair

 

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – Butte County supervisors have committed $15,000 to help prepare a state grant application that could determine the future of the county-owned Gridley Swimming Pool.

Approved as part of the Oct. 27 consent agenda, the budget amendment will pay for professional grant-writing assistance as the county seeks funding for improvements beyond what the pool’s available reserves can cover.

Supervisors authorized the application Oct. 13. The latest action provides money for drafting and coordinating the submission to the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program.

County officials said the pool needs significant repairs or replacement, and without a grant or another funding source, supervisors may eventually have to consider closing it.

The consultant expense will come from County Service Area 34, which supports the pool, with no impact on the county’s General Fund. The amendment leaves an estimated $319,191 available at the end of the fiscal year.

The pool also finished fiscal year 2025-26 with a $13,230 budget shortfall because of higher utility, supply and maintenance costs, along with unexpected repairs. County officials proposed covering those expenses with reserves as part of separate year-end budget adjustments.

The state program offers grants of up to $8.5 million without requiring matching local funds. It supports new parks and improvements to existing recreational facilities in critically underserved communities.

Replacement estimates prepared more than a decade ago ranged from $2 million to $4.5 million. Construction costs have since increased substantially, officials said, making those figures an outdated measure of what the work would cost today.

Depending on the award and project costs, funding could replace existing facilities and potentially address additional community priorities. The program allows up to 25% of an award to cover design.

In outlining the application effort earlier in October, the Department of General Services identified California Consulting, a grant-writing firm already under contract with the county and familiar with the program, to assist.

The department also outlined plans to involve the Butte County Fair Association and other stakeholders in preparation for community meetings and public communications.

The application will compete against proposals from across California, and funding is not guaranteed, officials said.