The Jefferson City Council took an initial step toward providing more privacy at the municipal swimming pool.

The Council approved the first phase of services with Atura Architecture for designs for a family restroom at the pool house. Jefferson Parks and Recreation Director Denny Hammen says there were concerns brought up to the Parks and Rec Board earlier this summer about privacy in the pool house and says the male side was one concern and he describes the other concern.

“There are also a lot of young families that have both male and female children of course, and when they go into the pool house they are required to go one way or the other. If we could put in a family restroom, our thought being, and our board’s thought is that would help those young families. They don’t have to make that decision or they don’t have to send their young child to one side of the locker room or the other. It would just make it much easier for families to utilize our bathhouse.”

Hammen believes this would be a good change, considering where today’s world is heading.

“Family restrooms now have become such a part of our society, I mean most of the large retail stores will have a family restroom, a lot of stores offer nothing but family restrooms. I think it’s just probably a change, a sign of the times. I think it’s probably something that one of the last things I hope that this pool would need in order to modernize it or bring it up to what people expect today.”

The Council approved at their Tuesday meeting a $2,000 agreement with the architect firm to develop designs and initial floor plans. Hammen is hoping to have the entire project completed before next pool season.