Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Facilities Pool Renovation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Punxsutawney students seek pool upgrades as board considers bid specifications and costs
Summary
Students and coaches presented equipment needs for the district pool — starting blocks, timing system and scoreboard — while the board discussed bid specifications prepared by engineering firm HHSDR and whether to pursue lower-cost options; the pool renovation item returns for possible action Tuesday.
Students and coaches from the Punxsutawney Area School District told the school board they want new starting blocks, an electronic timing system and a scoreboard to support growing swim teams, and the board debated whether to accept detailed, higher-cost bid specifications prepared by engineering firm HHSDR or to seek lower-cost alternatives.
Coach Zach Kane and several student athletes summarized current needs and offered cost estimates. "We currently have 15 girls," girls team captain Miley said, adding that the team’s bonding and competitiveness have grown since the program began. Kane described equipment options he had researched: newer starting blocks that he estimated at about $5,000 each, a touch-pad timing system with computer interface he said typically costs $17,000–$18,000, and an electronic scoreboard he reported a vendor quoted at about $16,000. Kane also noted lane lines are roughly 23 years old and suggested the district could borrow or rent equipment temporarily; he named Eric Neil, the CEO of a local YMCA, as a contact who has offered assistance.
Board members acknowledged the value of the swim program but pressed on cost and scope. One board member said HHSDR’s bid specifications represented a "Cadillac" solution and suggested staff investigate lower-cost installations that expose conduit above-ground or reuse stored starting blocks. Board members asked staff to confirm whether starting blocks already in district storage are structurally sound; a staff member said the stored platforms appear rusted after "20 some years" and would require further inspection. The board also raised a safety concern: some existing blocks had been designed for shallow-water placement and the HHSDR design places new blocks at the deep end to allow diving.
The board noted a currently proposed option in the engineering materials is priced at about $200,000, but multiple members said they would prefer to evaluate less expensive alternatives and review the item during budget season. One member asked whether HHSDR could provide an alternate set of bid specifications that reflect the coach’s less-expensive approach; staff agreed to ask HHSDR whether they could provide pricing for both the HHSDR design and the lower-cost conduit-above approach. The board did not take a final vote during the meeting; the pool renovation item was scheduled to return for action or further tabling at the board’s next meeting on Tuesday.
Board and staff next steps include: (1) have staff ask HHSDR for comparative bid specifications and cost estimates for both the current HHSDR design and an alternate, lower-cost approach; (2) inspect starting blocks in district storage and report on condition and safety; and (3) include the item in upcoming budget discussions so the board can weigh capital priorities. No formal procurement decision or contract award was made at the meeting.
