By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
The City of Burlington Common Council on Tuesday unanimously moved approved the first steps in construction of a new community pool.
The council approved the pool management plan and also voted to allow Ayres Associates to move forward with the first stages of construction documents.
There were changes made to the pool management document following the Dec. 6 Committee of the Whole meeting, clarifying amounts expected to be covered by fundraising as well as actual costs for training and opening and closing the pool properly each season.
The end result was fundraising money being put into the budget as revenue to offset the added costs, with the pool budget still showing about a $9,000 surplus each year.
Maintenance for the pool will be covered by a reserve fund being raised right now. About $700,000 of a planned $1 million for that fund has been pledged, and Pool Board President Darrel Eisenhardt said interest gained from the money would cover capital expenses such as repairs or new items.
He also said that money would be put aside to cover “rainy day” seasons when attendance is down due to cool weather or rain.
Marcy Essman, the secretary of the pool board, then talked about concessions. She said the Pool Board had been in contact with Ken Mikulec of Badger Popcorn to discuss options for what equipment to purchase, what food to provide and what foods provide a good profit.
“The pool’s going to be new, big and fun,” Essman said. “The food should be, too.”
With the referendum passing in November with 70 percent voter support, the Pool Board members said there was a mandate to ensure the project’s success.
“This community really wants this new pool, and will support this new pool,” Eisenhardt said.
Essman said earlier, “We want to respect the taxpayers that not only does this get built, but it’s sustainable.”
There were a handful of questions raised by Common Council members, including the idea of interest covering all the maintenance and capital needs. Eisenhardt said Pool Board members are confident that will happen, and when Alderman Jon Schultz then asked if that meant there would be no cost to the taxpayers once the 20-year bond is paid off, City Administrator Carina Walters said, “(That’s) the idea.”
Alderman Tom Preusker also questioned moving forward without a formal agreement with the Pool Board. Walters said the agreement with the board is in draft form, and will likely be in front of the Common Council for a closed-session meeting Jan. 3.
“We want to make sure the agreement is mutually beneficial,” Walters said, adding that both sides want to be protected as well.
“I think all of these pieces are falling into place quite nicely,” she added.
The construction documents that will now be started by Ayres will still need to come back before the Common Council for approval.
-
-
-
-
-