Charles City Parks & Rec Board seeks proposals for swimming pool evaluation, recommendations

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Parks and Recreation Board took the next step in figuring out what to do with the city swimming pool at its monthly meeting last week.

The board approved a “request for qualifications” (RFQ) that will be sent out to various pool design and construction firms, asking them to submit qualifications, potential procedures and prices to help the Parks & Rec Board decide if the existing municipal aquatic center at Lions Field Park can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced.

The request asks interested companies to provide information regarding how they would go about analyzing the condition of the existing pool and the best methods to repair it to meet all current code and standards.

It also asks the companies how they would evaluate the needed size, location and amenities of a new aquatic center if it is decided that is the best option, as well as the possible price and whether the company would be able to help with fundraising and potentially a bond campaign to finance the project.

In a section headlined “Background,” the RFQ says, “After 30 plus years the pool is showing signs of wear and tear and equipment repair and replacement costs continue to rise. There is general agreement that something needs to be done to address these issues and the question of whether the pool needs to be replaced with something different has also been initially discussed. Additionally, there have been public requests about the idea of installing a splash pad either at the pool location or elsewhere in the city.”

The RFQ says the current pool is located in an area that is not very visible to the public or centrally located, and it is in an area surrounded by floodplain, although the existing pools are built above that.

“The city would like assistance on assessing the current facility and if needed, helping the community achieve a new facility that meets our current and future needs,” the RFQ says.

The request asks interested companies to provide examples of similar work they have done, names and qualifications of key personnel who would be involved in the project, as well as other information about the history of the company and its technical abilities.

The RFQ asks that interested companies respond by 1 p.m. Friday, May 13.

“​​I’ve got a list of people who have contacted me. I’ve got seven or eight different places, then I’ll look for pool manufacturers in the area, that cover Iowa,” said Tyler Mitchell, the director of the city Parks and Recreation Department.

“I may be sending 15 out and we may get one or two back. We’ll find out. We’re moving forward,” he said.

Also at the meeting last week, the Parks & Rec Board discussed two kinds of skating facilities – an ice skating rink and a skate park.

Joel Bruner, now the general manager of Wildwood Golf Course, said he used to be involved in creating an ice skating rink in the area that is now the Union House on Main Street downtown, and it was an arduous process.

It required putting down many thin layers of water over days to build up an ice base about an inch thick to support a thicker layer for the rink, he said. Just pouring a large amount of water on the frozen ground would result in pulling the frost out of the ground and the water soaking in.

Creating the rink requires work every day for the first couple of weeks, he said.

“You have to have a way to get snow off it, without crushing through,” he said. “Every time the temperature fluctuates you have to fix it.”

Mitchell said the Fire Department is concerned about using water directly from a hydrant as a water source, because every time a hydrant is opened in the winter it has to be drained back to avoid water freezing in the hydrant.

Bruner said establishing the base is the tough part, but once that’s in place you can use water from a fire truck to maintain it.

“I’m not saying we’re not going to do,” Mitchell said to the board members who have been advocating regularly for an ice rink. “I just want you to know what’s involved.”

Bruner said having some sort of tarp or liner for the rink would make the process easier, but he imagined that would be an expensive investment.

Regarding a skate park, Mitchell said he had been in contact with the company that built the skate park in Osage, and the company suggested options for $13,000 or $21,000 for equipment that could be installed on a cement slab.

If the city wanted to build a park with more equipment somewhere else this equipment could be moved, Mitchell said.

The Parks and Recreation Department has $10,000 in its budget for the new year beginning July 1 to be used toward a skate park, and Jeff Otto, president of the Parks & Rec Board, said he knows of a group that would be willing to donate up to $20,000 or possibly more toward a skate park, but it needs to know specifics about how the money would be used.

Otto has declined to identify the group.

The board discussed whether it should place equipment at the old skate park area or find another spot. The equipment at the old park, next to the swimming pool, was torn down because of its deteriorating condition.

Mayor Dean Andrews suggested part of the parking lot for the Senior Center could be used, and Mitchell said he would research the cost for installing a new cement slab somewhere, to give the board options.

Also at the meeting, the Parks & Rec Board:

• Agreed that the Parks and Recreation Department would be willing to take over maintenance of two more public restrooms if they are built with outside access at the Milwaukee Road railroad depot that was moved last year and that has been suggested as the location of a trail head for the Charley Western Recreation Trail.

Mitchell said he has employees who clean the outdoor public restrooms three times a week at Wildwood Golf Course, Sportsman’s Park, Lions Field Park, Westwood Park and Waverly Hill Park.

Mayor Dean Andrews said the city likely would be involved in helping pay to construct the restrooms, but the group that owns the depot wanted a commitment that the city would also maintain them.

Park Board member Cory Mutch said having public restrooms at the beginning or end of a trail is a great amenity for trail users.

• Set prices at $25 for the season and $3 for a day pass for water walking exercise sessions at the swimming pool this season.