Alpine council hears leak-detection report, faces major pool repairs and board questions

The Alpine City Council heard on Oct. 28 that a leak-detection study found multiple structural defects at the municipal swimming pool and that repairs will require outside specialty contractors rather than in-house patchwork. City staff said the problem includes significant floor cracks and multiple hidden seepage points that a local pool firm and a hired leak-detection vendor identified during a recent review.

Why it matters: Councilors were told the pool is a high-use community facility for children and families, but it currently fails several state safety and operations items and is losing substantial volumes of water. The council must weigh cost, vendor availability and safety requirements before deciding which repairs to fund and how to schedule reopening.

City manager Gio explained that West Texas Pool Repair (owner Donnie Greenway) performed a consultation and a safety inspection and later referred the city to Leak Detection Pro to perform a formal leak-detection survey. West Texas Pool Repair is a local firm that provided a free consultation in June and later did a formal safety inspection; its owner, Donnie Greenway, was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Board in July 2025 and filed the required conflict-of-interest disclosures. The council asked staff to confirm that those disclosures are on file.

Public works staff said the leak-detection report showed “major structural issues” with the pool shell and that epoxy patching would not be effective as a long‑term solution. Public works advised the council that Leak Detection Pro is recommending specialized pool contractors for structural repairs. The city’s earlier, in‑house assessment — reported to council in August — was later characterized by staff as a miscommunication: the repairs cannot be completed successfully in‑house.

Officials gave specific findings drawn from the study: the report lists 13 structural cracks in the pool shell and tests that indicate seepage through places not visible from the pool surface; staff also cited a larger count from the study that included about 25 leaks overall with 11 identified as “major.” Council member Stevens cited the consultant’s estimate that the pool has lost roughly 2,400,000 gallons of water over a three‑month span as a data point illustrating scale; staff said that quantity came from the report and from the detection vendor’s calculations.

Cost estimates and next steps: Landmark (a vendor that did not perform the leak detection) submitted a quote of $11,800 for repairs but would not guarantee results because it did not perform the leak-detection study; Landmark stated it could add about $6,500 if it found additional leaks when it performs its own detection. Public works said it had received additional quotes pending formal proposals and that the city had already approved line items for pump and motor replacement work (a pump priced at about $9,000 is part of the near-term list). The council was told the leak-detection vendor charged approximately $6,000 for the leak survey.

Code and safety compliance: Staff and the building official, Jessica Eisele, told council the pool currently lacks items required under Texas health and safety rules for public pools, including documented policies, trained supervisors, incident reporting, up‑to‑date lifeguard certifications and drill logs. Eisele and the parks director said staff certifications are limited: David (parks) holds a CPO (certified pool operator) and two additional staff are certified; Eisele and others cautioned the council that David’s CPO carries personal liability if state requirements are not met.

Board and permitting questions: Councilors debated whether the Parks and Recreation Board should remain as an advisory body or be dissolved. Several council members said a board provides community input and helps with planning and grant work; one council member suggested meeting frequency could be reduced if attendance or capacity is an issue. Councilors also discussed whether the pool permitting and short‑term rental rules overlap with pool operations; the building official urged the council to avoid asking residents to repeat a full conditional‑use permitting process for existing properties unless ownership changes.

What council asked staff to do next: Staff were directed to collect firm quotes for structural repairs and to return with a recommended scope and cost; staff also agreed to prioritize the safety‑related compliance tasks (training, logs, certifications) and to present funding options and timing at a future meeting. Councilors asked that staff explore whether particular repair vendors will warranty work if they also perform detection, and to confirm all conflict‑of‑interest disclosures for vendors who serve on city boards.

Community timeline and impact: The pool remains closed while the city develops a prioritized repair plan; staff said the pool is important for summer programming and that the community has repeatedly requested a reliable season schedule. The council was not asked to approve a final contract at the meeting; councilors said they wanted a clearer estimate of total cost and vendor guarantees before any major appropriation.