Citizens attending a town hall-style meeting about the proposed county pool were greeted with a drawing of the layout.
“Nobody knows better than you folks here in this room that it’s been a lot longer trying to get to this pool than what we had originally anticipated,” said Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris. “I feel real good right now about where we are.”
The county has signed a contract for engineering of the new pool. When engineering specifications are ready, the project will be bid out.
Paris said he believes the days of no bidders for the project are behind. When the county bid the project previously, no companies bid to perform the construction.
March is the target month to put the project out to bid. Paris said he expects several companies to bid on the construction this time around.
Designs for the pool include eight lanes which can be roped off for competition, a diving well, heaters for the pool, a zero entry ramp and a slide.
The main part of the pool will be 5 feet at the ends where swimmers would use diving blocks during a meet and coming to 4.5 feet in the middle.
A wading pool with water features will be between the main pool and the civic center.
The diving well will be 11 feet deep and will have one diving board which rises 9 inches above the walking deck.
Paris went over several requests which he said could be looked at after construction.
“Right now, I just want to get that pool done,” he said.
A big request was for a roof over the pool which could be retractable or with sliding glass doors on the side.
“There is no possible way we’re going to have that upfront,” Paris said.
He said the pool was financed the old-fashioned way. The board has been putting money back every year.
“We currently have, in a separate account of its own for use for nothing but the pool, about $2 million, just a tad over,” Paris said. “We’re pretty confident that we can build a pool as it is envisioned here for $2 million.”
He is hoping to have the pool under construction this summer.
Post Commissioner Karleen Ferguson said she was proud of the board for putting the money back and not adding to the county debt for the pool.
“There are so many benefits to a pool in a community,” she said.
Larry Lykins said he was frustrated this will be the fourth summer without a pool.
“I’m excited we’re still moving forward, I’m glad we’re still moving forward,” he said.
He asked the board about details, but one request was they continue to put money back to address a roof on the pool and refurbish the locker rooms and bathrooms at the civic center adjacent to the pool.
Paris said it is a budget decision, but it is in the back of the minds of the commissioners that there are things they still want to accomplish.
One other thing Lykins wanted the board to consider was dedicated management of the pool. He said the new pool would be busier.
Several people talked about the possibility of holding swim meets which would benefit the county. Other speakers asked if there could be some help in paying for the pool from the school system.