Contract for pool study still pending

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Editor

It’s no secret the future of the Burlington Community Pool has been in a state of flux for most – if not all – of the past year.

An aging infrastructure has the City of Burlington in the process of setting up a study that could determine not just what the city wants in a replacement pool – but if it even wants a new facility.

Mayor Bob Miller said Tuesday the city is still negotiating with Burbach Aquatics LLC – the company the council agreed to engage in November.

Miller had hoped to have the contract set by now, but is hopeful it will be complete in the next week or so.

“Time is becoming of the essence here,” Miller added.

For Miller, that statement comes in hopes of getting a referendum on whether to fund pool improvements on a November ballot.

“That’s still my goal,” he said.

But for Scott Hoffman, the secretary/treasurer of the Community Pool Board, the delay has also created frustration as they plan to re-open the existing pool in about a month.

“It’s a little bit frustrating, because we kind of hoped we’d have some kind of survey or something going on, so we could ask questions,” Hoffman said. “We basically have two years to operate as is.

“We’re looking for some input on longevity of equipment and things that need attention,” he added.

There are normal maintenance items that need to be addressed before the pool opens – such as replacing broken titles and re-plastering the pool in places.

But there are larger repair issues looming. The heater at the pool will need to be replaced, as will the liner on the pool.

Early estimates put the number between $600,000 (the low end cost to reline the current pool) on up to $3.5 million (for a new pool with a number of attractions), but the final number would depend on what the community would be willing to support through referendum.

The high-end amount of $3.5 million would cost an average city homeowner an extra $48 a year in property taxes, Miller said earlier this winter.

Because of the uncertainty with the future of the pool, Hoffman said the board is in “wait and see” mode when it comes to investing anything into the old facility.

“We need the expert to come through and tell us what’s good and not good,” he said.

Comfort upgrades set

However, there are new features coming to the pool this spring. After the pool building got a fresh look with new paint and fixtures last spring, a few amenities are being added now. Wi-fi was installed at the pool last week, Hoffman said, and the board is currently working on getting umbrellas and lounge chairs.

Those upgrades are being funded by last summer’s fundraising efforts with the thinking that items such as lounge chairs and umbrellas could be used in a new facility as well.

“That’s kind of the direction we’re going,” Hoffman said. “We’re doing anything to try and encourage memberships.

“There’s not much we can do, or can add, right now, knowing we could be leveling everything and starting from scratch – or undergoing major renovations,” he added.

Even with the changes, Hoffman and the Pool Board are looking for answers that only the study can provide.

“We know things need to improve to be able to attract new members,” Hoffman said. “We will be limited on what we can do until this study is completed.”