FERRIDAY — The Ferriday town council voted Monday at a specially-called meeting to give Mayor Gene Allen the authority to operate the Ferriday pool.

They also authorized Allen to look into what it would take to place the pool on the town’s insurance policy.

“We’re going to do this until the recreation board steps up and does what is right,” Allen said.

The pool is currently insured by the Concordia Parish Police Jury, and operation of the pool — closed for nearly two years because of health concerns — was supposed to be resumed by the Recreation District No. 1 once the pool was repaired and passed an inspection by the health department.

The town repaired the pool, and it was re-opened without an inspection by the health department, but the health department does not inspect pools unless they receive a complaint.

Inspections are required by some insurance companies.

Ferriday owns the pool and lets the recreation district run it, Town Attorney Derrick Carson said.

“There’s nothing to stop the town from doing something for recreation,” he said. “The police jury does not have a stranglehold on recreation in the parish.”

“The problem is the recreation board does not have money in its budget to operate the pool this year,” Allen said.

The pool has had more than 200 people use it during each session it was open, Allen said.

Alderman Johnnie Brown said recent portrayal of the events surrounding the pool’s re-opening have distracted from the town’s main goal in opening it.

“The pool is not the issue, and the issue is not ‘us’ versus ‘them,’” he said. “We need to come together and do the best thing for the children.”

Police Chief Richard Madison told the council the pool has served as a crime deterent.

“It cuts down on kids getting in on destructive activity,” he said. “These kids don’t need to be put in the court system, they need to be put in the pool and other constructive activity.”

Allen agreed.

“When people leave, they go home and go to bed,” he said.