We got this, but it won't be easy, and it requires everyone's advocacy NOW.

With over 300 signatures and growing, it is clear that our community recognizes that Live Oak pool is a vital resource for everyone from kids to seniors, and most importantly for the hundreds of Oakland High students who have been learning to swim there for decades.

Following my request to the City Council for clarification on when key budget decisions will be made for the upcoming fiscal year starting July 1, 2025, I received this response from one council member:

"Repairs to the pool would cost about a million dollars. Currently we have zero dollars budgeted or available for this project. I hope that we will sell bonds in the fall, which will provide us with more money for infrastructure repairs of this type. 

However, even with bond sales there is no guarantee that the pool will be fixed. There are literally billions of dollars of need for projects across the city, and we have nowhere near that kind of money. With Oakland's budget situation we are facing a reality where we may not be able to fund everything that we want to fund or that provides real value to Oaklanders. I say this not because I've made any specific decision about your pool, but because I'm trying to be clear-eyed and honest about the challenges we face in Oakland right now.  

As for timing, the mayor will present his budget to council in about ten days. The council will then have the months of May and June to tinker with the budget. Decisions about how to spend Capital Improvement and bond money are not necessarily tied to the budget process, but are ongoing as the Dept of Public Works evaluates their resources and the constantly shifting needs of all the facilities and public spaces in the city."

While I appreciate the feedback, I won't lie - this riles me up! We all know that Oakland has a tough budget situation, but we also know that certain communities are prioritized when it comes to maintaining critical facilities and resources. 

Other city pools have been renovated in recent budget cycles, some more fully than others, but of the two that serve the flatlands of East Oakland - Live Oak and Fremont - Fremont is deteriorating according to sources, and Live Oak has been closed for almost two years! 

I urge you to send an email this week to District 2 Council Member Rebecca Kaplan letting her know that Oakland High students and the surrounding community deserve to have a working pool! 

Next up - "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and everyone else has to hold a bake sale..."

In solidarity,

Inga