Established in 1955, the Dr. O.R. Nevitt Memorial POOL serves North Pacific County residents with a much needed facility for safe aquatic activities, including swimming lessons, swim team, water aerobics, and recreational swim. It is the only public swimming pool in Pacific County. A community surrounded by waterways, having a pool to safely swim, is very important!

The POOL is a two story structure open to the weather with locker rooms below. It is open only through the summer season and offers employment to many local youth. Historically, the pool was originally operated by the City of Raymond, until budget restraints halted them from continuing operation. Sadly, it closed in the early 1980’s and sat empty for over two decades. After multiple local drownings in the 1990’s, a local non-profit group was formed, People Organized to Operate Leisure activities. They had one goal in mind, get the pool up and running so all of North Pacific County had a safe place to learn and play. The nonprofit was successful in acquiring grants, along with donations and fundraisers, to raise over $750,000 to get the pool open again. It reopened to the public in 2002 and has successfully operated under the non-profit since, with zero drownings reported since it has been open.

This year, there is a transition happening on how it will be operated and maintained. Due to the aging and condition the pool has had in the last 20 years, the non-profit group asked the city for some help in keeping it up and running. Starting this year, 2024, the city will be taking over the day to day operations, and maintenance of the facility going forth, while the P.O.O.L. Board will back the city with their fundraising efforts to cover any budget offsets to ensure the pool can remain open. The P.O.O.L. Board’s main goal is to ensure the people in the community continue to have a safe place to learn and play and they will act as a sound board for the city for operating ideas and suggestions.  

For more information on P.O.O.L. Board meetings, click the POOL BOARD link! And check back soon for opening information and details! Your ideas, suggestions and fundraising help is greatly needed based on the current condition of the pool, and cost of repairs.