An aerial diagram of the closed Allen Memorial Pool as presented by RL Turner Construction to the Decatur County Council Tuesday evening. An aerial design of the RL Turnerbuilt public pool in Portland, Indiana. This design most closely resembled Allen Memorial Pool amenities and has an estimated construction cost of $5.9 to $6.3 million. Image provided
GREENSBURG – The county council has established a cap regarding how much money it’s willing to spend for a new community swimming pool, if one is built, and also tabled a decision about establishing a local 1% food and beverage tax to help pay for such a facility.
There was a good deal of discussion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Decatur County Council about a replacement for Allen Memorial Pool, which was closed last year because of its deteriorating condition.
Representatives for the construction company RL Turner presented several pool designs. With each design came a comparison of features, the square footage of each project, and its estimated cost.
Pools listed were from previous RL builds and their budgets ranged from $5.3 million in Portland to $12.9 million in Frankfort.
Frankfort’s design listed features like a zero-depth entry point (for people with special needs), a “water walk,” and a three-slide waterslide tower.
Portland’s design had several features as well, but favored square footage over the number of comparable features.
For a majority of the discussion, the value of Greensburg’s relatively new bathhouse, the importance of a zero-entry feature, and a comparison of each design were major topics.
All seven councilors took an active part in the discussion, with some more vocal than others.
Parks Director Teresa Kovacich was asked to clarify how the original pool committee design features were chosen, and RL Turner representatives were questioned about their methods.
Several members of the audience also took part in the meeting, which lasted almost 90 minutes.
After several impasses and failed votes, Decatur County Community Foundation Director Tammi Wenning suggested the group decide on a rough dollar figure to go forward with.
“If we decide what we want to spend, then we’ll find a way to pay for it,” she said.
She said the food and beverage tax was unpopular among many people, but that she wanted her community have something to be proud of.
“Let’s do it right, not just stick a Band-Aid on it” she said.
The discussion continued with such debate, until finally RL Turner agreed to submit a pool proposal to the Council in the $5 to $6 million range.
The decision on the food and beverage tax was tabled until a 6 p.m. Feb. 20 meeting at the City Hall Annex on S. Ireland Street.
It was also decided that more input will be necessary, and the RL Turner designs will be made accessible to the public for inspection.
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