Pb Swims is a 501(c)(3) non-profit formed to raise public and private funds to renovate and reopen the Lake County Aquatic Center.

Yes. It is called the Lake County Aquatic Center (LCAC) and includes an Olympic size pool, diving well with 1m springboard and climbing wall, hot tub, sauna, locker rooms, and a party/meeting room.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ba082d_f1a5e6c0f78f46e5b3851876e4957a98~mv2.jpg At the Lake County Intermediate School at the corner of 6th Street and McWethy.

Lake Co. School District (LCSD) & managed by Lake County Government, both funded by you, the taxpayer. The BOCC holds an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) to operate and maintain the aquatic center through 2028.

The LCAC was shut down for repairs on December 12, 2020. Then permanently closed by the Board of Lake County Commissioners (BOCC) on April 21, 2021, without notice or input from the public.

The LCAC needed repairs, replacement of some systems & renovation to bring the facility in compliance with ADA requirements.

In 2020, according to Lake Co gov’t $3M for reno. An audit then showed 4.6 for a full reno, with a new build coming in at 10-13M. $666,999 would have addressed the problem at hand with a 10-year warranty as determined by a civil engineer in December of 2021 (Repair).

In 2025 a full renovation would be approximately $17 million with Phase 1 requiring $6.1M to safely open the facility. Further phases to follow over 10 years. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ba082d_f432662dd0174108924381df55a665f3~mv2.jpg

Lake County residents and guests of all ages, cultures, and abilities.

Swimming & diving lessons, aqua exercise, kayak classes & stroke development. There was aqua basketball, aqua volleyball, dive-in movies, a climbing wall, short course races, swim team & rehabilitation.

A safe place to learn the life-saving skill of swimming. Exercise for improved cardiopulmonary function, increased strength, flexibility, muscular balance, with low impact on bones and joints. Community - an affordable indoor year-round alcohol and drug-free public social space for fun, education, recreation, health, and wellness.

Met publicly, participated in surveys, plans, and studies with the Lake County Recreation Advisory Board, BOCC, LCSD, and Leadville City Council advocating reopening LCAC. $88,000 has been raised in local donations. $500,000 is in the aquatics center fund from the citizen initiated and approved City sales tax.

It’s fiscally, environmentally, and socially more responsible to renovate rather than build new. An Olympic size pool in a brick-and-mortar building renovated with an expected 50-year life span presented in the 2020 Audit is a better use of taxpayer dollars than a fabricated steel building with four 20-yd lap lanes, a leisure pool, and a 25-year life span presented in the 2025 Feasibility Study.

Under Colorado law the only avenue for Lake County/City of Leadville citizens to put this issue in front of citizens was to gather signatures to place the issue on the City of Leadville November 2024 ballot. State law does not allow for citizen-initiated county ballot proposals. Lake County, City of Leadville, and LCSD elected officials declined to place the issue in front of the voters.

2B SHALL CITY OF LEADVILLE TAXES BE INCREASED $500,000 ANNUALLY IN THE FIRST FISCAL YEAR AND BY WHATEVER ADDITIONAAL AMOUNTS ARE RAISED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER BY THE IMPOSITION OF A NEW 0.5% CITY SALES TAX TO BE USED EXCLUSIVELY TO CREATE AND FUND A PERMANENT AQUATICS CENTER FUND AS CALLED FOR BY INITIATED ORDINANCE NO. 6 THAT SHALL BE USED ONLY FOR: 1) THE ACQUISITION OF LAND OR THE PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT OF AN AQUATICS CENTER THAT MAY BE OPERATED AND MAINTAINED UNDER CONTRACT BY A THIRD PARTY, 2) AQUATICS CENTER PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES, AND 3) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE AQUATICS CENTER AND ITS PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES;

Capital Funders (Grantors) have been hesitant to put money toward renovating the Aquatic Center without a revenue stream in place for long-term operations. The passing of the tax proposal was critical and although we know the taxpayers in the City of Leadville are frustrated at the slow pace of this project, they did an incredible thing to advance the reopening of the Aquatic Center. Without this action on the part of the citizens Pb Swims believes that there would be little possibility of successfully reopening the Aquatic Center.

$542,180.84 as of January 31, 2026

Dedicated aquatics center sales tax revenue is held by the City of Leadville. It is shown on the City’s monthly financials as a separate fund. It is the responsibility of the City Council to ensure it is used for the public purpose which the voters intended.

In accordance with the ballot language the tax revenue can be used for capital expenses and operating the Aquatic Center. Clearly, the tax revenue is insufficient to renovate the Center.

Lake Co. is raising a generation of children who will not know how to swim. Many will have a lifelong fear of the water. More children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death and it’s the second leading cause of unintentional injury/death for children ages 5-14, according to the CDC. Over 70% of Lake County residents work in the resort communities in neighboring counties. These folks do not have the time, money, or transportation to get their children swimming lessons. Nonprofit hopes to reopen only public pool in Colorado county https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oozn2CRes0Y

Pb Swims wants to see partnerships and institutional support from the School Board, BOCC and the City Council. No decisions have been made by the elected officials about a specific future direction or renovation of LCIS and LCAC. We are seeking a unified decision among the School Board, the BOCC, and the City Council. In the absence of this, Pb Swims will continue to raise funds and apply for grants.

Talk to our elected officials, help us identify potential grantors and if able, donate.

If you want to reach the BOCC you can contact them at 505 Harrison Ave, PO Box 964 Leadville, CO 80461 alee@lakecountyco.gov (mailto:alee@lakecountyco.gov) etharp@lakecountyco.gov (mailto:etharp@lakecountyco.gov) mbullock@lakecountyco.gov (mailto:mbullock@lakecountyco.gov) If you want to reach the Lake County Board of Education you can contact them at 328 W 5th St, Leadville, CO 80461 BoardofEducation@lakecountyschools.net (mailto:BoardofEducation@lakecountyschools.net) If you want to reach the City Council you can contact them at 800 Harrison Ave, Leadville, CO 80461 LeadvilleCouncil@leadville-co.gov(mailto:LeadvilleCouncil@leadville-co.gov)