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YMCA declines to manage city pool as‑is; council weighs inspections and multi‑part repairs
Summary
The YMCA told the city it will not manage the municipal pool without substantial upgrades; committee members debated inspection options (camera, ground‑penetrating radar), short‑term fixes and capital needs including a new roof and filtration work.
The recreational facilities committee recorded a formal notice from the YMCA that the organization will not re‑enter a management contract for the city pool unless the facility receives major upgrades, including pump and filtration work and a change to a liquid‑chlorine system. Committee members said the YMCA has raised concerns about water quality and the ongoing operational burden of correcting repeated sand intrusion into the pool.
Committee discussion focused on how to identify the source of sand entering the pool and on cost‑effective next steps. Options considered included hiring a ground‑penetrating radar (GPR) vendor to survey the pool deck and shell (staff quoted a one‑time mobilization and survey price of about $6,500), performing camera inspections of piping where possible, or limited coring at targeted locations. Members also discussed an estimate of roughly $5,500 to haul water to refill the pool should draining be required; filling the pool by hose was estimated to take four to five days.
The committee also reviewed a series of capital‑scale needs: a roof repair/patch proposal (a commercial rubber/metal patch and gutters) was discussed with a patchwork quote near $25,000; an earlier filtration upgrade estimate (from the building’s packet) of about $50,000 was noted but identified as an older figure likely to change. Members repeatedly cautioned that the total cost of making the pool fully operational could be substantial and that the city must weigh continuing to “limp along” with repairs versus a larger replacement or repurposing decision.
Council members directed staff to pursue diagnostic steps before committing to larger expenditures. Several members favored non‑destructive inspections first (camera runs and targeted checks of known joints), with GPR used if those options are inconclusive. The committee agreed to bring findings and firm contractor estimates back to the full council for a budget decision and to ensure the city has a clear cost/benefit picture before hiring a manager or spending on extensive repairs.
The meeting record shows no formal vote to close the pool; rather, members asked for further investigation and cost estimates to present to council.
