Council pursues permanent pool enclosure options and approves $275,000 boiler replacement at Kedron

Peachtree City council on Thursday directed staff to pursue more detailed design and pricing for a permanent enclosure at the Kedron Aquatics Center and approved a contract to replace the facility’s boiler system after staff described a persistent leak and aging components.

Facilities staff presented five enclosure options to the council, ranging from replacing the current air-supported “bubble” to permanent insulated or framed structures. Staff recommended further study of Option 4 — a permanent insulated structure with the shortest lead time in vendor discussions and potential to reuse the existing grade beam — and council asked staff to pursue engineering and a detailed cost estimate for that option. Council members emphasized the need for accurate lifecycle estimates, including HVAC, electrical and foundation work; staff said those non‑material costs are not included in the vendors’ price quotes and would be developed in the next step.

The council also heard that the large Kedron pool has an active leak — an estimated 1.5 to 2.5 inches of water lost in a 24‑hour period, which staff traced to the basin after temporarily shutting off pumps. Staff contracted a leak-detection firm for a $3,000 test and said larger resurfacing work will be required within 3–5 years because the pool currently contains five layers of plaster, meaning full removal and replastering will be necessary.

Separately, the council voted to award the boiler replacement contract to J.M. Clayton Company in the amount of $275,000 after receiving four bids and disqualifying the apparent low bidder for incomplete forms. Facilities and the city manager said the project was designed with redundancy and modern components — two 600,000‑BTU boilers, a buffer tank, variable-frequency-drive pumps and expansion tanks — to reduce future failure risk. The city previously received a $150,000 donation toward the project; staff recommended covering the remaining $125,000 from CIP contingency. The motion to award the contract carried at workshop.

Council members stressed timing: staff said lead times vary by enclosure: some permanent options had 12–16 month material lead times, while a quoted insulated structure vendor said manufacturing could take 1–6 weeks and installation about 17–20 days once on site. Staff warned that a new permanent enclosure would require concurrent engineering, permitting and civil work and that even if a vendor were chosen now the city would likely need to re‑install the existing bubble for one more season while designs and procurement proceed.

Next steps: staff will pursue engineering and more complete cost estimates for the preferred permanent-enclosure option; proceed with the contracted boiler replacement (J.M. Clayton Company); run the leak-detection test and report resurfacing cost estimates for possible concurrent scheduling with enclosure work.