Leaders to meet on pool access

Published 12:01 am Monday, June 18, 2018

NATCHEZ — City officials are expected to meet 11 a.m. Tuesday with the YMCA manager of Natchez’s new community swimming pool and a summer camp organizer after police were called to the pool Friday in response to a dispute over camp’s access to the pool.

YMCA Director Alice Agner requested the meeting with Aftershock youth camp organizer Javarrea Jones, Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell, Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, her  YMCA supervisor and Natchez-Adams County Recreation Commission chairman Tate Hobdy to resolve the dispute.

Email newsletter signup

Agner sent an email letter to several city and county officials Friday morning detailing her side of the dispute with Jones, stating she had met with Jones about a month ago to discuss necessary insurance paperwork he would need in order to let campers utilize the swimming pool.

Meanwhile, Jones has filed his own letter of complaint with city and county officials, alleging his campers were denied access to the pool even though he had filed the necessary paperwork.

Agner’s letter said she never received the paperwork and when Jones came to her office last Tuesday to check on arrangements she informed him she had given Aftershock’s requested Thursday time slot to another group.

“He became very upset and combative with me,” Agner wrote in the email to city officials, adding that he called her supervisor at the YMCA and Hobdy, and said Arceneaux-Mathis had told him he did not need the paperwork.

Agner’s letter said she told him if he got the necessary paperwork his group could use the pool, offering him a 9 a .m. slot, which he declined, instead requesting a 10 a.m. slot, which she assigned to his group for Wednesday.

On Friday, however, Jones showed up, Agner’s letter said, at 9:12 a.m. Friday while lifeguards were vacuuming the pool and doing maintenance.

“He was very angry,” Agner wrote. “I explained they had to be out of the pool by 9:50 because I had another group coming. I had to clear the pool at 9:57. Again, very angry, complaining that they didn’t have enough time.”

The campers were allowed to swim with lifejackets, Agner’s letter states, because necessary swim tests could not be performed.

One of the lifeguards called 911 because of the situation, Agner wrote, and police arrived, spoke to Agner and Jones and resolved the situation.

Jones’ letter said he has “written statements from YMCA workers that claim they overheard Ms. Agner give the directive to . . . a lifeguard on duty at the time, to call the police before our group arrived stating ‘He’s combative and I refuse to deal with him.’”

Jones’ letter said the incident caused harm to his reputation and requests officials look into the matter.

Agner’s letter requested a Tuesday meeting with all parties.

“I’ve scheduled a meeting with the Mayor, Ms. Mathis, Tate and Javarrea for Tuesday at 11 a.m. to try and resolve this matter,” Agner’s letter said.

Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said he plans to meet with Jones and Agner on Tuesday.

“There are rules in place, and I am a strong proponent for rules and safety when it comes to swimming,” Grennell said. “It is very important that all rules are followed for safety at that facility.”