Perry residents press council to fully fund pool renovation; council approves design contracts
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Summary
Residents and swim program leaders urged Perry City Council to prioritize a full pool renovation and a single extended closure to avoid season disruptions. Council approved professional services agreements for filtration and ceiling design and heard a consultant estimate a roughly $5 million renovation, with $2 million targeted initially.
Residents and swim-program leaders urged the Perry City Council to make a full renovation of the municipal pool a top priority and to fund the work so the facility can reopen before the 2027 summer season.
“I’m here to request on behalf of our swim boards that the council make the repairs and renovations to the pool one of your main priorities and support the full funding of the renovation projects in its entirety,” said Anne Marie Spellman, an attorney and swim-board member. Heather Corollis, another swim-board member, said the city should “close it for one length of period” so multiple seasons are not affected by staggered repairs.
Council then moved forward on the first design steps for that renovation. The council approved a professional services agreement with JEO Consulting Group for the pool filtration system design, not to exceed $90,000 with additional hourly fees not to exceed $45,000 without prior approval. The council also approved a separate $145,000 services agreement with I and S Group (ISG) for the pool ceiling renovation.
A consultant described a planning estimate for a full renovation “somewhere around $5,000,000,” saying an initial $2,000,000 package would address the ceiling, filtration and HVAC work needed in the near term. The consultant and staff said design work is expected to take about three to four months, followed by bidding and contractor mobilization; with contingencies, some work could extend into 2027.
Council members and speakers emphasized minimizing the number of closures. Corollis said Perry’s summer and winter teams, plus a successful high‑school program, would be disrupted by piecemeal repairs; she said a single continuous closure would reduce that impact. Staff said construction oversight and additional inspections may increase project costs and that the detailed budget will be refined once the contracted firms complete design work.
The motion to approve the JEO Consulting agreement and the ISG ceiling agreement passed by roll call. Next steps cited by staff include finalizing design contracts, completing the design work in the coming months, and preparing bid documents so construction can be scheduled.
