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Town leaders flag unsafe pool repainting and $2,470 ARPA shortfall for bathhouse design
Summary
Board members found a substandard pool repainting job that made surfaces dangerously slick and discussed repair costs and a $2,470 design shortfall not covered by ARPA; the board directed the interim manager to consult staff and report repair estimates before the pool reopens.
Board members reported a substandard repainting job at Northfield’s municipal pool that left paint peeling and created dangerously slippery walkways. The pool director said the paint job resulted in unsafe surfaces and that patrons had fallen; the town paid the contractor and staff will review the contract for warranty or other remedies.
"No. It's not safe," the pool director said when asked whether the pool could open with the current paint work. Board members asked the interim manager and staff to obtain a repair cost estimate before any reopening. The board discussed purchasing temporary mats to reduce immediate risk but emphasized the mats were an imperfect, trip‑hazard workaround.
Separately, the board examined funding for the pool bathhouse design. Staff noted $8,300 of ARPA funds and a prior manager’s $10,000 allocation exist in building facility lines, but a contract amendment after the ARPA eligibility cutoff left a $2,470 shortfall for architectural design that ARPA cannot cover. The board proposed shifting $2,470 from the previously identified $10,000 line to cover the design shortfall and asked the manager to verify the intended use of the $10,000 and the vendor contract status.
Next steps: the interim manager was asked to consult with staff (including Jim Russo where relevant), verify warranties or legal remedies with the pool vendor, produce repair cost estimates, and confirm whether the $10,000 line can be repurposed to cover the $2,470 design gap.
