November 28, 2023 |
Photo – Saratoga swimming pool – Bigfoot99 file photo
Saratoga officials took a deep dive last week into the topic of whether the town’s wading pool should be saved. The town offers an outdoor pool during the summer months. Included with pool membership is access to a small wading, or baby pool. Crumbling concrete and leaks caused the town to close the wading pool for most of last summer, prompting refunds on seasonal memberships.
During the November 21st Saratoga town council meeting, Public Works Director Emery Penner presented several options for repairing or eliminating the wading pool.
Penner said if the council chooses to repair the wading pool, the fix will include installing a larger heater and filter. Penner said the cost of installing a new vinyl liner will run upwards of $125,000. The public works director told the council to expect to pay another $40,000 to $60,000 to repair the concrete. Altogether, Penner said the project would likely cost nearly $200,000.
Penner said $71,000 of 6th Penny Tax was set aside to fix the wading pool, with an additional $103,000 for concrete repairs. The public works director said the cost of the project will likely exceed the special purpose tax amount by tens of thousands of dollars.
Penner said the town must decide if it’s worth spending so much money to fix the wading pool. The public works director recommended filling the pool in and using the money on other projects, such as keeping the main pool operational.
Councilwoman Kathy Beck asked Penner if a splash pad could be installed in place of the wading pool. Penner said a splash pad would cost much more than fixing the pool.
Penner said a splash pad could realistically cost up to $400,000 to build.
Councilwoman Beck said while concrete work was being done, the pipe to the water slide at the pool should be repaired. Afterwards, Beck said the town could install a new water slide.
The other town council members said they approved of Councilwoman Beck’s idea to repair the water slide pipes. Mayor Chuck Davis said the council should solicit more public input before making a decision.
Councilwoman Beck called for a vote to have the town explore the options available for replacing the baby pool. The motion passed. Mayor Davis said the council needs to do more research before deciding the fate of the wading pool.
