Although the City Council’s Park Committee is far from any decisions on whether to fix up the city’s 37-year-old swimming pool or build a new one, committee members agreed that a pool was important for the community.
The facility loses money every year at a cost of $30,200 to the city, said City Administrator Dave Nelson. The maintenance costs for last year were more than $69,000, he added.
The question facing the committee and the full council is not one of how much the city is losing but instead of making a realistic estimate of how much longer the facility will last, Nelson said.
“If the city wants to continue having a pool we will have to have a replacement pool,” said Ald. Terrence Bellon.
Ald. Tim Joosten said maybe it was time for the city to build a new facility with a dome so that the pool can be used for at least nine months.
