Rain doesn’t dampen mood at pool ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday

City councilmembers past and present, led by Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen (center, with scissors), donned rain jackets to celebrate the moment on the pool deck on April 10, 2026

Local city leaders, staff, community volunteers and pool supporters gathered on site of Piedmont’s new all-electric community pool complex on Friday morning at 10 a.m. for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The pool opens to the public on Saturday, April 11.

Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas was on hand to celebrate the milestone, as was pool architect ELS Architecture and Urban Design President Clarence Mamuyac and members of the construction team.

Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen and ELS President Clarence Mamuyac pose for a photo inside the pool house before the official ribbon is cut outside. Behind them are members of the architecture and construction companies that worked on the project. Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas (front, far right) also attended the event on April 10, 2026
Pool supporters and city staff arrive for the ribbon-cutting ceremony
Eric Havian from the Piedmont Recreation Fund (formerly the Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization) addresses the crowd in a downpour. The group raised over $2 million for the facility.

It was a welcome milestone for all involved. Piedmont has gone without a community pool for six years, starting in March 2020 when the old pool was shut down during the COVID pandemic The City Council decided in September 2020 to keep it closed for a variety of reasons, among them the difficulty in hiring staff and managing swimmers due to COVID, a malfunctioning heater, and the fact that the pool was leaking about 3,000 gallons of water a day.

In November 2020 Measure UU — a bond measure to support the construction of a new pool –passed with 68.47 percent Piedmont voter approval.

One thought on “Rain doesn’t dampen mood at pool ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday

  1. Grateful to the community, especially voters and taxpayers, for all their support in making this new community recreation and gathering space possible for now and generations to come.

    The effort was real and borne by too many to name and thank individually; we owe you a debt of gratitude for all who contributed in ways large and small to this community asset. The vision comes alive starting Sat. April 11. We hope to see you all there tomorrow and in the weeks to come.

    Enjoy !

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