Parks commission directs staff to gather designs, bids for county pool replacement and repairs

The Parks and Recreation Commission voted to authorize staff to gather design options and contractor bids for either extending and remediating the existing county pool or replacing it outright, after hearing that the pool’s structure and equipment are failing and that short-term repairs will be costly.

The action followed an extended presentation and discussion led by Salil (parks staff), who told the commission, "We've got it drained and cleaned up. Most everything's looking pretty good. We've got a few repairs that need to be done. The age is really showing on it this year, but, we'll pull through and get that going." Salil said the department currently has five certified lifeguards, five more in training and staff in place for food service and management for the coming season.

Commission members pressed on both immediate maintenance and long-term options. Salil and other staff described cracking and loose tile around high-traffic entry points, failing skimmers and brittle equipment they blamed on chlorine damage, and ongoing water leaks. "The chlorine's eating [the skimmers] up," Salil said. He told the commission that specialized patch material had been ordered and that…