By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
The question of just what to do with the Burlington Community Pool continues to loom large for city officials, as Common Council members debated what their role might be Tuesday night.
Buoyed by $25,000 worth of cosmetic repairs – funded by the city – the pool opened in May in spite of grim assessment of the facility by Mayor Bob Miller, who has questioned its long-term viability in its present state.
That question is set to be answered, as the council offered unofficial support to commission a study that would examine the pool design and also provide a management plan.
The major question raised through the discussion of the proposed study, though, was how far the city should go to keep the pool alive.
“We’re talking about a substantial amount of dollars,” said Alderman Tom Vos. “I don’t think it takes a lot to educate people the pool’s been in trouble for years.
“I guess someone needs to explain to me how far we’re going to take this,” he added.
That question would be answered by the study, though Mayor Bob Miller already has a few answers – at least in terms of repairs currently needed and money already made by fundraisers this summer.
In talking with the Community Pool Board – the volunteer organization that oversees the operation of the pool – the mayor relayed that several items are critical at the pool, most notably the heater, which is about a $10,000 repair, he said.
Other items in need of repair now or in the immediate future will be the pool bottom and pool gutters, the pumps and filters on the pool.
“If you’re going to keep the pool open in 2015, the infrastructure needs to be taken care of in order to open the pool,” Miller said.
Pool Board member Scott Hoffman has painted a less dire picture of the facility. He has said the pool remains viable in its current state, but the maintenance and improvement needs must be addressed in the next few years.
The city owns the pool facility, which is next to Devor Park, and the Pool Board has overseen its operation since it opened in 1966. The operation is not subsidized by city tax money, but instead relies on memberships, daily fees and annual contributions from four of the city’s service clubs – Jaycees, Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary.
The proposed study is broken up into six phases – a site assessment, preliminary design, referendum educational assistance, design and bid, construction management and a pool management plan. The first five would decide what needs to be done, while the sixth would create a plan for the city to keep the pool running in the future.
According to information provided by city staff, the Pool Board – comprised of members of the four service clubs that run the community pool – reviewed and endorsed the proposed approach.
One of the biggest questions remaining is whether the city needs a pool. As membership has dropped over the past several years, Vos openly questioned whether the city would take over the pool. If that were the case, he wanted to know how the city would fund it.
“I just want everyone to understand we’re talking about X amount added to the budget,” he said.
There were also questions about who would run the pool, and what role the city should play. The initial indication from City Administrator Kevin Lahner was that the Pool Board would remain intact.
During the summer, a pair of fundraisers netted tens of thousands of dollars and considerable community support for the pool. None of that money has been earmarked, in anticipation of what results the study process produces.
Questions also remain about the use of an outdoor pool. The Aurora Wellness Center in Burlington has its own indoor pool, but considerable monthly costs. Grand Geneva has its own water park.
The idea right now, Miller stressed, is to do the study and find out what needs to be done and when.
“We need to look at options that are out there, and decide what we want to do,” Miller said.
The next step is to make an official request for proposals from consulting firms.
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