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Del City debates pool staffing, shade-structure repair and playground surfacing
Summary
Council heard cost options to replace or cover pool shade structures (metal vs. fabric vs. in-house), reviewed YMCA staffing proposals for Eagle Harbor pool, and debated rubber mulch versus permanent padding for city parks.
Councilors and staff spent a significant portion of the April 20 meeting discussing maintenance and operations at Eagle Harbor pool and city parks.
Parks supervisor CJ Jennings presented multiple options for covering the pool's shade frames. External bids for metal roofing varied widely: a Titan Building Company quote for four gabled roofs was around $60,350 while single-slope panels were quoted at roughly $25,100; Callahan Steel Buildings had earlier estimates near $29,880–$39,000 for hipped roofs designed for wind resistance. Fabric covers for four structures were quoted at about $20,000. Jennings also presented an in-house materials estimate from the street supervisor (Micah Enrew) showing parts-only costs around $9,000 for three structures if city crews supplied labor; staff said each structure could take up to two weeks to replace after deconstruction and anchoring work.
On pool operations, staff described difficulty attracting seasonal lifeguards and presented YMCA proposals: a five-day/week option with six lifeguards was priced at roughly $55,000 (including a 25% management fee) while a four-day/week option reduced the cost to about $44,192. Staff discussed whether the city could reduce costs by supplying equipment or opening fewer days; they also noted procurement rules could require a full RFP if expenditures exceed thresholds.
Council also considered replacing playground surfacing with loose rubber mulch (vendor Jellybean LLC) at an amount not to exceed $25,000, to bring surfacing to the recommended 4-inch depth at parks. Several members raised health and environmental concerns about recycled-tire mulch and asked staff to research padded alternatives and state-contract pricing before committing. A motion to table the mulch purchase until May 4 failed on the floor, leaving the issue unresolved at the meeting.
CJ Jennings summarized the in-house parts costs: "to do the three structures looks like it was around in parts only $9,000 give or take," and Chief Williams/Council members underlined the need to balance cost, durability and timely completion before the pool season.
Council asked staff to return with additional cost, procurement and timing details at the next meeting.
