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Columbus council orders $31,500 boiler to keep municipal pool open after public appeals
Summary
After residents urged the council to keep the pool open, the Columbus City Council voted to order a roughly $31,500 boiler (option 2) to address a leaking unit and allow the pool to operate this season; staff will follow up on separate piping repairs and longer‑term funding.
The Columbus City Council voted to order option number 2 — priced at about $31,500 — to replace the municipal pool boiler, after residents and staff described a persistent leak and urged action to keep the pool open.
The decision followed public comment from Payne, who said they were the pool co‑manager last season and that more than 50 children took swim lessons and ‘‘over 500 unique people’’ used the pool. Payne told the council the facility is a safe summer option for families and warned that closing the pool for a season risks permanent loss of the amenity.
Council members and staff discussed the condition of the existing boiler and piping. Staff said the boiler has a leak and that replacement options include tradeoffs between upfront cost and efficiency. One option was described as about 97% efficient compared with another at about 85%, a difference that staff estimated would lower heating costs by roughly 20% over time; council members noted the pool operates only about two and a half months annually, which lengthens payback time for higher‑efficiency units.
After discussion about lead times and immediate operational needs, Council member (speaker 6) moved to order the higher‑efficiency option (option 2) for roughly $31,500; the motion was seconded and carried in a council vote. Staff said they can obtain the required boiler in a timely manner and will provide a breakdown of the piping and leak repairs, which staff identified as an older system (pipe installed decades ago) that may require separate work in the fall.
The council also heard several residents stress the pool’s importance to young people, lifeguards and community health. One commenter who had served as a lifeguard said swim lessons were a ‘‘life skill’’ for an area with two local rivers and urged fundraising and community planning to sustain the pool.
Votes at a glance from the meeting: the minutes were approved as corrected; claims were approved; the council approved ordering the pool boiler (option 2, ~$31,500); and the council approved closeout paperwork for a fee‑hangar grant. Staff indicated further work on piping/leak repairs will follow and some longer‑term funding options were suggested by members and the public.
Council members emphasized the desire to keep the pool open this season while pursuing repairs and possible fundraising or grant options for longer‑term stability.
