Pacific keeps municipal pool open after unanimous vote, to use dechlorination while planning repairs

The Pacific Board of Aldermen voted unanimously July 2 to keep the municipal pool open for the remainder of the 2024 season while city staff put in place environmental safeguards and pursue pricing for a permanent repair.

Mayor (identified in the record as Speaker 1) and Public Works Commissioner Bergeman described diagnostic work after staff observed bubbles and water loss at the seam where the pool wall meets the floor in the shallow end. Bergeman said crews used a jetter and dye testing and temporarily plugged a 4-inch drain tile to locate leaks; the work showed bubbling at multiple spots around the seam and indicated a permanent fix would require draining the pool, sandblasting the seam, replacing the caulk and repainting.

That permanent approach would allow the city to address the seam comprehensively, Bergeman said, but would require the pool to be taken out of service while contractors complete the work. He estimated that, properly repaired and repainted, the seam work could be expected to last several years.

The board discussed contractual payments to Midwest Pool Management. The mayor described prior management-fee and salary payments totaling roughly $54,900 and reported a remaining contractual balance that, after reconciling payment dates, staff estimated at about $45,665. The mayor said the contract permits termination with written notice and payment only for work already performed, but advised the city attorney and staff would review termination provisions before any formal action.

Aldermen and staff also raised environmental concerns about chlorinated water entering a nearby creek if the pool is allowed to leak. Bergeman said dechlorination options exist — including fire-hydrant-style diffusers and dechlorination tablets — and that a diffuser typically costs about $1,200 while a bucket of tablets is on the order of a few hundred dollars. He offered to obtain a diffuser and tablets from the water department budget if the board wished to keep the pool open.

Alderman Kelly moved, and Alderman Stewart seconded, a motion to keep the pool open for the rest of the season while staff proceed with a plan to regulate the outflow (installing a reduced-flow valve) and dechlorinate water entering the creek. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote. Under the motion, public-works staff will install a valve to reduce leakage to an estimated 8–9 gallons per minute, use a dechlorinating diffuser and tablets as needed, monitor the creek for environmental impacts and return with contractor quotes and timing for a full repair.

The most recent procedural development is the board’s action to keep the pool operating with mitigation and to seek repair-cost estimates; staff said they would follow up with Midwest Pool Management about the contract and share updates with the board.