City outdoor pool may go dry

That's one option mentioned by a member of the city council following questions about a request to resurface the facility in time for the summer swimming season.

Parks and Recreation Department director Sylvia Pinson appeared before the city council Tuesday to request they officially approve taking public bids for resurfacing the outdoor pool at H.V. Griffin Park.

The proposed repair would cost an estimated $33,000, and the funding for it is already in the department's budget this year.

Pinson explained that her department had planned and budgeted for the resurfacing last year, but the money earmarked for the project was spent on upgrading drain covers on the recreation center's two pools after a federal law directed all public pools in the country to update their drain systems to meet new safety standards.

She said that the outdoor pool is in "desperate need of resurfacing," stating that the last time it was done was in 1996.

Currently, the outdoor facility has a plaster/marcite surface, which Pinson says has an average lifespan of nine to 10 years.

"In the last 14 years, our Park Maintenance Department has maintained and completed minor repairs on our surface," Pinson wrote to council members. "At this point the surface is worn so thin that complete resurfacing is the only option."

Pam Henry, aquatics director for Shelbyville Recreation Center, said that cracks have appeared in the concrete and added that failing to resurface the pool now could lead to "astronomical" repair costs in the future.

Henry also indicated that there could be liability issues as well if someone is injured due to the pool not being resurfaced.

"In other words, we have to repair it or close it," council member Kay Rose said, to which Pinson agreed.

"That could be an option," councilman Al Stephenson said.

Pinson said that using marcite would be the most cost effective for the Shelbyville facility and easier to maintain "in-house."

The request for the resurfacing will be on the agenda for next Thursday's meeting of the city council.

Pinson also requested funding for a backup battery for a fire alarm system for the recreation center and submitted the department's new athletic league policies and procedures, which include a requirement for background checks for coaches and board members.