Fort Recovery to apply for $500,000 Land & Water grant as council weighs up to $1.2M pool replacement

Village staff told the Fort Recovery Council on Nov. 3 that a core pool replacement would cost just under $1.2 million and that the village should seek additional grant funding to close the gap.

Aaron Rengers, identified in the record as a village staff member, presented the pool-builder estimate for replacing decking, gutter, filter, pump, heater and vinyl liner at roughly $1.2 million and said the gutter alone is about $100,000 and should last roughly 30 years. Rengers described options and incremental additions: zero-depth entry for approximately $226,000, a splash pad around $400,000 and a pool house about $300,000. He said the liner typically lasts about 15 years and a new liner could extend life by decades.

Council unanimously passed ORD 2025-30 authorizing staff to apply to the Land & Water Conservation Fund for a $500,000 grant; Diller told the council an existing $450,000 grant is already authorized and the LWCF request would be paired with that funding. Diller emphasized timing: the ODNR application must be turned in by Nov. 14, and councilors should expect further details and potential scope adjustments to return to the table for decision.

Councilors asked about scope and longer-term costs; staff said the $1.2 million figure did not include a splash pad or bath house but that the project could be staged. No vote was taken on design details or on contracting beyond authorization to pursue the grant. If the grant is awarded, staff will return with required match details, final scope, and funding plan.