Stewartville Council approves solar array conditional-use permit for United Therapeutics and awards $280,000 pool resurfacing contract

The Stewartville City Council on Sept. 9 approved a conditional-use permit for a proposed solar array at the United Therapeutics site and awarded a $280,000 contract to Mid America Pool Renovation to resurface the city pool.

According to the meeting packet, city staff said the planning commission held a public hearing Sept. 2 and recommended approval of the conditional-use permit for the United Therapeutics project, which the packet said has been designed in partnership with Cedar Creek Energy. The council moved and carried the permit by voice vote.

Council members also considered a single responsive bid for the pool resurfacing project. The bid from Mid America Pool Renovation Inc. was $280,000; staff said the vendor would begin preparatory work this fall and complete resurfacing next spring. Meeting discussion described the work as replacing the pool’s aggregate “Diamond Brite” finish, renewing lane tiles and other surface elements, and noted a five-year warranty and an expected 20-year service life for the resurfaced surface.

Councilors discussed alternatives, including a fiberglass option that staff said would add roughly $60,000 and extend service life by about five years; the council approved the $280,000 Diamond Brite contract by voice vote.

Both items were presented as staff recommendations in the council packet; no roll-call vote totals or individual votes were read into the record during the motions. The council also approved several routine items earlier in the meeting, including minutes and the accounts-payable listing.

What happens next: staff indicated the pool contractor would begin preparatory work this fall and return to complete the resurfacing next spring. The conditional-use permit will allow project permitting and site work to proceed in coordination with the developer and the city’s planning process.