Westbrook member of Friends of the Cornelia Warren Recreation Area Deborah Shangraw, left, listens to city water talks last week. Robert Lowell / American Journal

An ultimate decision in Westbrook about whether to pursue a swimming pool goes to the City Council, but public input opportunities are not over, following a series of public meetings.

Westbrook water talks consultant Craig Freshley will file a report after the holidays to the City Council to mull over findings of the public sessions and results of a survey centered on adding an outdoor community water amenity. The Recreation and Conservation Commission will provide its recommendation to the council.

There will be more opportunities for the public to weigh in, Mayor-elect David Morse said during the public meeting on Nov. 14, and the City Council will seek direction from the city administration on how to best move forward.

In addition to the survey, the public aired their thoughts in two August meetings and a third last week.

Assistant City Administrator Angela Holmes said Nov. 14 the city received 632 survey responses and that the community wants a swimmable amenity.

The survey included a choice of pools in three price ranges, and Holmes said the “strongest” support was at the $5 million level with 237 survey respondents favoring it; 152 said “yes,” if half the cost was funded through grants and donations; and 205 said “no.”

For a $10 million pool, 143 liked it and 255 said “no,” with 188 approving if grants and donations paid for half.

An overwhelming 319 opposed a $15 million project compared to 96 in favor, while 161 favored it if donations and grants covered half.

Two other survey takeaways, Holmes pointed out, were that a water amenity is not more important than other recreational amenities and a new water amenity should not come at the expense of existing ones.

Survey findings also indicated that the existing indoor pool at the Community Center does not meet the current demand for swimming opportunities. The city has a list of 16 possible locations for a pool. The three frontrunners are the Community Center on Bridge Street, Foster Street fields, and the Cornelia Warren Recreation Area off Main Street.

Survey results indicate the public wants a pool centrally located within walking distance and with adequate parking, but it’s unclear where that location would be.

Resident Dan Glover asked how the city determines priorities when the city has 189 students listed as homeless. Holmes said, “We’re not weighing students against pools now.”

A member of Friends of the Cornelia Warren Recreation area, Deborah Shangraw, found the city water talks process “very informative.”

The Warren Friends has its own survey that is continuing to collect answers, and that group met Nov. 20, after the American Journal deadline this week.

To view the city’s Nov. 14 water talks video with survey results, go to westbrookmaine.com under the Community and Economic Development department page.