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Saint Marys council directs staff to draft resolution for roughly $44,500 in short‑term pool repairs
Summary
The council voted to have staff draft a resolution to pursue about $33,000 in repairs plus a 35% contingency (totaling roughly $44,500) to keep the city’s training pool open for one to three seasons while a permanent replacement is pursued; members voiced timing and cost concerns and asked for firm opening-date contingencies.
Saint Marys — The City Council on April 20 approved a motion directing staff to draft a resolution to pursue short‑term repairs to the city’s training pool, a step council members said is intended to preserve the summer season while officials pursue a long‑term replacement.
Shane, a member of the council pool committee, told the council the committee’s estimate for materials and labor was “approximately $33,000” and that committee members included a 35% contingency — about $11,500 — bringing the project “just under $44,500.” He said several local businesses had offered donated labor or materials to reduce the city’s share of costs.
The request prompted sharp questions about value and timing. Council member Steven said the work looked “like an expensive fix for 1 season to me,” arguing the city could instead divert funds toward a new pool. Other members pushed back that the community deserved some access to a pool while longer‑term funding is pursued.
Council members pressed for a firm timeline and for a contingency tied to the pool opening. Steven asked that the resolution include language making the repairs conditional on being able to open the pool within a reasonable date (members referenced early June targets such as June 2–10). Shane and others said they would seek to hit early‑June deadlines but acknowledged contractors could encounter surprises that add time.
City staff and committee members described the repairs as largely surface preparation and painting, patching known thin or rusted spots and replacing limited plumbing or fittings as needed; committee members said prior work in the late 1980s had replaced plumbing and that most remaining issues are corrosion and localized patches.
Because the request would be handled under a forthcoming resolution, council did not appropriate money at the meeting. The motion approved by voice vote directed staff (identified in discussion as ‘Lauren’ and the solicitor) to draft the resolution, publicize it, and bring it to the council for a formal vote; council members said a special meeting would likely be scheduled within days to finalize the authorization.
The council also debated procurement and bid thresholds during the discussion; one speaker said the project would fall below the city’s $25,000 formal‐bidding threshold while others cited individual line items (for example, a painting quote mentioned in discussion that appeared higher than that threshold). Council asked staff to clarify procurement steps in the draft resolution.
The motion to have staff draft the resolution passed by voice vote. The council’s next formal steps will be the solicitor’s review of the resolution language and a publicized special meeting to consider final authorization for the repairs.
