Borough staff seek $100,000 to cover bid overage for Marysai pool replastering; project slated for August

Borough Public Works staff asked the Finance Committee to approve an ordinance appropriating $100,000 from the capital improvement program maintenance reserve to fund replastering and limited structural repairs at Marysai Swimming Pool.

Janice Smith, Public Works, said contractors will remove existing plaster, repair concrete where necessary, reinstall tile and new plaster, and refinish ladders and stairs. “The current available funds for the project are roughly $5,000 less than the lowest bid we received for this work,” Smith told the committee, and she said the additional appropriation would cover the bid price and a contingency for conditions that may be revealed once plaster is removed.

Mayor Hopkins said the project’s funding and schedule expectancy: the previously approved budget figure showed roughly $510,000 in available project dollars, of which about $60,000 has already been used on scoping and design, leaving about $450,000 on hand. The ordinance before the committee would increase the project budget and bring total funded project value closer to $610,000 (project and budgeting figures discussed in staff remarks). Smith said the contractor’s work is scheduled August 1 through about September 18 followed by the pool’s annual maintenance closure; Public Works estimated plaster curing and chemical balancing will require several additional weeks before reopening.

Why it matters: the work is routine but necessary maintenance of a community recreation asset. Committee members asked about timing (the work overlaps high school swim season) and about accessibility features; staff said they coordinated scheduling with Parks & Recreation and will follow up with details about pool revenue and any accessibility upgrades. The ordinance was presented as an appropriation request; the transcript records staff presentation and questions but does not show a final committee vote on the ordinance at that meeting.