Sellersburg parks board approves $82,516 pool-management contract with local vendor

The Town of Sellersburg Parks Board voted on March 10 to enter a one-year contract with Kentucky and a Pool Management for $82,516 to operate the municipal pool in 2026, and asked the town council to reappropriate budget lines to cover the contract.

Amy Campbell, who presented the three proposals the board had solicited, said the board compared PMI (base management quoted at $29,750, with lifeguard costs itemized separately), USA Pools (about $85,870 plus $189 per bath-house service), and the revised Kentucky and a Pool Management offer at $82,516. "I personally like this one best just because if we do decide to go with a pool management, they're local," Campbell said. She also walked members through her estimate of lifeguard hours and payroll to test how each bid compared to current town expenditures.

Board members pressed staff on procurement rules and budget procedure. Some members said they had asked the town attorney whether the services required a public bid or could proceed after soliciting multiple quotes; staff reported the $100,000 public-bid threshold was not exceeded but that the question of whether these were "special professional services" or a contract bid remained open and would be confirmed with the town attorney and clerk-treasurer.

The board discussed operational consequences of outsourcing: the contract would shift lifeguard employment from town staff to the private manager, reduce the board's in-house lifeguard payroll, and require a defined liaison role so the town could handle complaints, concessions oversight and scheduling. Amy Palmer, the acting pool contact during the offseason, will meet with the chosen vendor to clarify reporting and responsibilities if the board moves forward.

Members also discussed insurance and payment terms. Campbell said the vendor offered installments across the season, and town staff noted the town must continue to carry general liability coverage for property and slip-and-fall exposures. The board asked staff to recommend a reappropriation ordinance so the clerk-treasurer could consolidate salary, chemicals, training and related line items into a single professional-services line for the contract.

A motion to approve the Kentucky and a Pool Management contract for $82,516, with approval for additional billed hours as outlined in the contract and authority for Campbell to sign, passed 4–0. A subsequent motion to recommend that the town council reappropriate funds to cover the consolidated line item also passed 4–0. The board recorded the motions and instructed staff to finalize vendor coordination and schedule follow-up meetings.

Votes at a glance: the contract motion passed 4–0; the recommendation to reappropriate funds passed 4–0.

What's next: staff will confirm procurement advice from the town attorney, prepare the reappropriation ordinance for council consideration, and meet with the vendor and Amy Palmer to set operational roles and hiring for the 2026 season.