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Park board asks aldermen to fund robot pool vacuum; seeks cheaper chlorine suppliers
Summary
Park Board recommended the Board of Aldermen approve up to $4,200 for an automatic pool vacuum and asked staff to research lower-cost chlorine suppliers for the municipal pool, citing time-consuming manual cleaning and recurring chemical costs.
The Park Board on June 9 voted to recommend that the Board of Aldermen approve a budget not to exceed $4,200 to purchase an automatic robotic vacuum for the Westport-managed pool and directed staff to research alternative chlorine suppliers for potential savings.
Parks staff said the pool is being vacuumed manually under the Westport Pools contract, but the existing vacuum is obsolete and time-consuming. "It would operate overnight, and they'd be able to pull it up in the morning, and in theory, that means we have a cleaner pool," Ryan Shecker, Park Board president, said when introducing the request. The board approved language to send the recommendation to the Board of Aldermen, with Chris Fowler (parks staff) tasked to obtain bids and shop for models. A specific model discussed was the Wave 100, recommended by Westport Pools as suitable for municipal pools.
Why it matters: Board members said an automatic vacuum could improve daily cleaning consistency and potentially reduce staff time spent on manual vacuuming. The board also noted that the city currently pays roughly $3,800 to refill the pool's liquid chlorine tank every two to three weeks and asked staff to seek competitive pricing that could be 30–50% cheaper.
Discussion details: Members confirmed a working but obsolete vacuum remains on site and that the proposed purchase would replace it. The motion included a not-to-exceed figure of $4,200 to allow staff to solicit bids. On chemical supply, the board voted to have staff research alternative chlorine vendors and pricing and bring a price comparison to the July meeting; some members noted a desire to keep purchases local if pricing is competitive. "It is recommended that we actually do, have Chris do some shopping around because it's likely cheaper elsewhere," Shecker said.
Ending: The board forwarded the purchase recommendation and asked parks staff to report back with cost comparisons on chlorine sourcing at the next Park Board meeting.
