Earlier this week, the Jefferson City Council approved to purchase a cover for the City-owned swimming pool.

Earlier this month, the Council indicated that they wanted to purchase the mesh cover in order to prolong the lifespan of having to install a PVC liner for the almost 80-year-old structure. Parks and Recreation Director Vicky Lautner told the Council at that time the initial cost estimate from ACCO was $27,900 with installation. However, it wasn’t an agenda item that the Council could approve.

When it came time to approve it at their meeting earlier this week, Lautner told the Council, the company Tara Safety Pool Cover couldn’t make the cover big enough for the pool at 9,594-square-feet. However, she found another company, Rayner in Des Moines that would do it, but for a total of $30,195. The Council approved the option to purchase the cover through Rayner and for the price not to exceed $35,000. There was also discussion about possibly building a storage shed to house the cover when it’s not being used, but there was no formal action taken on that topic.

City Administrator Mike Palmer says payment for the liner and the cover will come out of the City’s general fund. However, since both items were not budgeted items, the Council has already approved the liner and will eventually approve the cover to be reimbursed through a future bond issuance with other expenses. Palmer notes the City has done this kind of financing before.

“We did the purchase of the golf course. We set up so we could go back through bonding and reimburse ourselves and that worked out real well because we could replenish our general fund levels. At the same time, we did not increase any of our debt-levy taxation.”    

The vote was four to one, with Council member Matt Gordon voting “no.” He tells Raccoon Valley Radio the reason he voted no was because he didn’t see the pool cover as a priority as much as the liner for the pool, nor does he believe that they need to build a shed to store it in. He thinks there are other priorities the Council needs to look at, such as the ambulance services.

Palmer adds the liner is anticipated to be installed before this winter, and the cover may have to be installed by next fall.