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Urbanna council approves two-year pool contract, scraps marina drone show amid bridge concerns
Summary
Facing uncertainty about marina access and escalating vendor prices, the council authorized a two-year contract with Signature Pools for $65,970 per year and voted to cancel the planned drone show at the marina; one councilor abstained on the pool vote.
Urbanna — With the marina bridge closed and vendor prices rising, the town council on Monday approved a two-year contract for pool management and voted to cancel a contracted drone show at the marina.
Staff recommended the town authorize the town administrator to execute a contract with Signature Pools to provide day-to-day pool management for 2026–27 at a locked price that results in $65,970 per year. Staff said Signature Pools has been filling roles (lifeguard and manager) that the town struggled to staff and that the company accommodates swim teams and special events.
Committee member (speaker 2) moved to authorize the contract, noting staff had secured a price lock for both years and that recruiting had produced only a handful of applications for lifeguard and manager roles. The motion was seconded and approved by roll call. The record shows Alana Courtney abstained; other council members voted yes.
Why it matters: The pool is an annual town amenity with a net operating cost to the town. Council members compared the current proposal to past local operating figures and said the lock on a two-year price provided predictability at a time of inflation.
At the same time, council debated planned Fourth of July entertainment. Staff told the council that drone-show vendors had returned quotes with 70–80% price increases and that staging large events at the marina would be constrained without vehicular access. A motion to not renew the drone-show contract for the marina passed by roll call, freeing funds staff said could be reallocated to marina repairs or other events such as a park-based celebration.
Council also discussed a previously obtained slide quote for the pool (a commercial-grade slide quoted at approximately $95,000) and concluded that the slide and larger park upgrades would remain on hold given competing infrastructure needs and the bridge-related uncertainty.
What happens next: The Signature Pools contract will be executed by the town administrator, and staff will reallocate or earmark drone-show funds to marina repairs and other special-event options while engineers scope bridge interim-access options.
