Swimming pool study will cost nearly $20,000
By DAVE SCHULTZ
The first steps to making any changes to the configuration and the operation of the Wells Community Swimming Pool will follow a study by the Indianapolis-based company.
The Bluffton Common Council Tuesday night approved paying $19,900 to HWC Engineering for a full review of the 50-year-old facility.
Mayor John Whicker presented the proposal because he was in a meeting with representatives of HWC last week and because Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Brandy Fiechter was not present at the meeting.
Whicker underscored the fact that this would be a study, not a commitment to move forward on any changes. The reason for the study was a simple one: “We’re looking at some very significant dollars.”
The pool does not pay for itself and the pool’s season has shrunk during the past several years because the college and high school students who serve as lifeguards return to school in early August. Last year, perhaps because of the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance hit a low point.
Fiechter addressed the council recently and said a decision had to be made about the pool’s future going forward.
Whicker, addressing the council members Tuesday night, urged approval of hiring HWC. The company has done work for pool facilities in Portland, Plainfield, and Columbia City, he said.
All five council members approved hiring HWC.
The Spear Corp. of Roachdale, Ind., which provides supplies to the Parks Department for the Wells Community Pool, will serve as a subcontractor for the study.
daves@news-banner.com
