News
City Of Logan Proposes To Build New Swimming Pool
By: Debra Tobin | Logan Daily News
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Through the generosity of a private donation, the Logan City Pool will open this year for one last time.
The pool and its equipment are more than 80 years old, and during the past few years, the pool and equipment have created multiple problems for those operating it, as well as headaches for the city as it attempts to manage operating costs.
For starters, the pool was losing 39,000 gallons of water per day on average, and no one could determine where the water was leaking. In hopes of getting the pool open this year, the city hired a company to research and repair the leakage. It has now been repaired.
The liner also was pulling away from the sides of the pool, causing large pieces of the concrete to break off into the water; the pool floor was bubbling and no one knew the reason behind it; and the paint was peeling off, which leaves black spots throughout. The pool is in the process of being revamped and almost ready for opening day, hopefully Memorial Day weekend or no later than June 2.
While the city has worked feverishly to prepare the pool for its opening day, Logan City Mayor Martin Irvine said this is just a temporary Band-Aid solution to the many problems the city has faced over the past few years with the pool.
"It's in bad shape," Irvine said. "We've decided to attempt to fix the pool one last season with limited resources."
In order to build a new pool, which the community is not denying is needed, it takes a lot of money for such a project. It is being proposed to place a $1.715 million bond on the November ballot and allow the community to decide whether a new pool is in the future.
According to Irvine, the average property value within the city is $80,000, which when calculated with the passing of the bond, homeowners would see a slight increase in property taxes for the next five years.
The owner of a $100,000 home would see an increase of approximately $120 to their property tax each year if voters approve the $1.715 million pool bond. However, nothing is set in stone; these are projected figures that could fluctuate.
During a recent parks and recreation committee meeting, it was recommended to approach city council to adopt an ordinance to place the bond issue on the November ballot.
Although this proposal is a slight variation in what the Citizens for a New Pool Committee have been hashing out, it is the most economical for the community.
"I really appreciate the Citizens for a New Pool Committee on keeping the conversation going on the pool, and hope they will continue to help with promoting of the bond and with pledges," Irvine said.
"I especially want to thank Jeff Dickerson for his efforts to bring awareness to the community about the need of a new pool," he said.
According to the proposal, there would be two new pools constructed at the present site similar to the present pools. As pledges are gathered from organizations and community members, other amenities could be added.
"This will be a brand new pool," Irvine said. "This is not a fix to our current situation but a brand new pool. We will set a goal of what we need, and start fundraising and campaigning."
Although the Citizens for a New Pool Committee was hoping to build an indoor facility equipped with a daycare, two pools, and a fitness and wellness center, nothing was formally presented to Irvine or Logan City Council.
The city is proposing to move forward with this project and is hoping for support from residents of the city as well as the county.
Logan City Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday, and will be presented with a recommendation from the parks and recreation committee to adopt an ordinance for the bond issue to be placed on the ballot for the November election.