The HOA Board met last week to discuss opening the Devereaux Pool. Not much has changed in the last few weeks as to the guidelines laid out in Phase II and the reopening of the pools. As infection rates in the state have increased with the Phase I & II easing, Wake County and the state are trending in the wrong direction.
It has been brought to our attention that in order to consider opening, we as a community will need to invest in new safety measures. That means purchasing sanitary supplies, auto hand sanitizers that must be purchased and installed in multiple locations in and around the pool. There are also the bathrooms to consider and the sanitary steps that would need investment such as auto soap dispensers, auto-paper towel dispensers, and possibly auto sensor faucets. All of these would need to be considered before reopening can be initiated. Sanitary supplies are still difficult to find for the quantities needed.
Then we must consider how to manage the population at the pool. How to designate sign ups, how to manage people’s time slots and ensuring people are social distancing for health reasons. The Pool Committee, Omega’s Legal Counsel, and R&P Pools (company that manages our pool) have all been consulted. It was recommended by an overwhelming majority that we hold on opening at least until the state moves to Phase III. The Governor of NC has now extended Phase II for 3 weeks and has issued a mandatory face mask order when out in public. In summary, after seeking advice from those linked closest to the pool and after considering the health and well being of our community as a whole, the HOA Board has voted to hold on reopening the pool until at least Phase III, which is another 2-3 weeks from now. Please know this decision does not come lightly, we all want to be able to use our wonderful neighborhood amenities. This decision was made with the best intentions of keeping all Devereaux neighbors safe and out of harm’s way.