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Ulster County approves pool upgrade project after debate over cost increases and grants; bond authorization passes
Summary
After lengthy questioning about cost escalation from earlier estimates, the committee approved capital amendments and later authorized bonding for the Ulster County pool upgrade; members emphasized grant support and schedule constraints.
The Ulster County Ways & Means Committee approved amendments to the Ulster County pool upgrade project and later authorized bonding to fund the county share, after extended discussion about a jump in project costs.
Committee members and county staff explained that initial planning estimates near $5.6 million rose to current bids of about $11.1 million. Drivers include a more sophisticated, recycled‑water spray ground (about $2.0 million versus $400,000 in initial planning), an added employee bathhouse and shower (~$1.0 million), a redesigned zero‑entry feature (approx. $800,000) to preserve competitive pool functionality, contingency, and two years of construction inflation across trades and equipment.
Deputy Executive Lavell and the county’s pool consultant said some of the increase stems from moving from planning‑level estimates to design‑level bids and from construction cost inflation. Lavell noted that grant awards — roughly $3.92 million from a DASL grant plus an expected ~$500,000 from Empire State Development — reduce the county’s net capital obligation; she characterized the county share as significantly less than the headline bid.
Legislators pressed whether scope reductions or value engineering could yield meaningful savings, and staff said value‑engineering itself is a scope and cost item that could delay the schedule. Several members stressed the goal of avoiding another season without a county pool, which limited the committee’s appetite to delay the project. The Ways & Means Committee approved capital amendments and later passed a bond authorization for the project with the amended bond amount (6,625,500 as discussed on the record). At least one legislator recorded a no vote on the project during the committee’s approval process.
Next steps: the bond authorization and capital project amendments will move forward in the legislative process; staff will continue to pursue grant funding and monitor construction and procurement schedules.
