Council directs staff to pursue sole-source stabilization of Caveman Pool with WMS Aquatics

Josh Hopkins, the city’s park superintendent, told the Grants Pass City Council on Aug. 3 that WMS Aquatics submitted an updated quote to stabilize the Caveman Pool and address mechanical-room deficiencies, and that the proposal would extend the facility’s useful life beyond 10 years. "The expected cost for this proposal was $1,486,348.15," Hopkins said, explaining the scope includes a Renesys liner, a new recirculatory gutter system and upgrades to pumps, filters and piping. Hopkins said the proposal does not include new recreational features and arose after other industry vendors were largely unresponsive to the full scope of work.

Council members asked technical and fiscal questions about warranty, timeline and alternatives. Councilor Rob urged moving forward, saying the pool’s ongoing failures were increasing operations costs and raising the risk of an in-season catastrophic outage: "I'd like to move forward today and, give staff direction to go with, WMS so we can finally put this project to bed." Councilor Rick said he agreed, noting the difficulty of coordinating many separate contractors and the advantages of a single general contractor to guarantee integrated work. Hopkins noted existing funds tied to the pool project (an LB 6393 account with a current balance of $33,179.31) and reminded council staff had previously discussed using up to $1.5 million from the URA for stabilization and a 10-year life extension.

Rather than a formal vote, the dais indicated unanimous thumbs-up direction for staff to pursue sole-source contracting under the city’s procurement policy (Policy 401 §5(f)) and to proceed with the contracting steps necessary to bring a detailed contract back to council for action. Staff warned that as a 70-year-old facility, unforeseen conditions could increase costs, and that the proposal carries limited contingency. The next steps are for staff to complete procurement and contracting tasks consistent with sole-source rules and return with a contract document and timeline for council consideration.