Socorro residents pack council chambers as pool partnership with New Mexico Tech is discussed

A standing‑room‑only crowd filled the city council chambers Tuesday night as residents pressed for clarity, continuity and community access during a lengthy public forum on a proposed partnership that would place New Mexico Tech in charge of operating the city’s public swimming pool.

The discussion dominated the March 17 meeting, drawing swimmers, parents, seniors and NMT employees who urged the city to protect uninterrupted access to aquatic programs as the university prepares to shut down its failing campus pool.

Mayor Ravi Bhasker opened the forum by confirming that the City of Socorro and NMT are negotiating a memorandum of agreement, noting that the city had already returned a draft with minor revisions.

 “We are ready to work with Tech to get this pool open,” he said, adding that the city has invested roughly $250,000 in improvements over the past five years, including bathroom upgrades, pool sealing and deck repairs.

Under the draft agreement, the city would contribute up to $160,000, its typical summer operating budget, while NMT would take over year‑round operations, allow free summer admission for youth under 18, and continue supporting the high school swim team. 

“The less than 18‑year‑olds come in for free in the summer,” Bhasker said.

Delilah Walsh, NMT’s vice president for administration and finance, delivered a detailed presentation explaining why the university can no longer operate its own pool. 

“We cannot put the bubble back up in the fall… the deck is failing,” she said. “It will have to stay closed after the fall season.”

Walsh said Tech’s goal is to create a “sustainable, year-round regional aquatic center” by combining the city’s infrastructure with Tech’s staffing and operational capacity. The university’s financial modeling shows a roughly $60,000 annual operating gap even after the city’s contribution, she said, emphasizing that Tech cannot take on a deficit that jeopardizes student services.

A major cost driver is the need for a winter enclosure. Walsh said estimates range from $700,000 to $3 million, with HVAC systems alone costing up to $700,000. 

“The critical investment is going to be that enclosure,” she said.

Many residents expressed gratitude for both pools and stressed the importance of uninterrupted access for seniors, families and the swim team.

“We’re really trying to make the point of continuity, not closing one thing and not having another already open,” said community member Judy Richardson, who teaches part‑time at Tech and swims regularly. 

She and others urged the city and Tech to consider lower‑cost heating options, including solar blankets and modest temperature increases.

 “Turning up the temperature a few degrees without building an enclosure is going to be way less expensive,” Richardson said.

Another resident, Kate, who did not give her last name, questioned whether a full enclosure was necessary at all, pointing to California pools that operate year‑round with solar‑heated water and nighttime insulation. 

“Solar-heated water is much less expensive than building a big facility,” she said.

Bhasker acknowledged the idea and noted that the city is already applying for solar‑related grants, including a feasibility study that will examine the pool, wastewater plant and Finley Complex.

Several swimmers pressed for a clear timeline, worried about the gap between the closure of NMT’s pool and the opening of the city’s. NMT officials said they are monitoring temperatures inside the campus pool’s bubble and hope to keep it open as long as possible but must drain it to remove the structure and conduct engineering tests. Once drained the pool can no longer be used.

“We’re trying to leave it open as long as we can,” NMT Vice President of Student Affairs David Greene said.“We will send that announcement and that timeline to campus.”

Bhasker cautioned that the transition will not be seamless.

 “This is more than just a hiccup,” he said. “We’re trying to make it as smooth as possible… we’re going to try to open the city pool earlier,” Bhasker said.

The city and NMT expect to finalize the memorandum of agreement in April, with both sides emphasizing that financial feasibility remains a key condition. Bhasker said the city will schedule another public meeting in the third week of April to review the finalized agreement and provide updates on NMT’s engineering assessment of its pool.

Despite the uncertainty, the mayor underscored the city’s commitment to maintaining public access. 

“Nobody makes any money on pools,” he said, “but we always felt that it was important.”