City Council pledges support for follow-up new pool effort
The City Council agreed to help support the maintenance and operation costs of a new pool should the Sweet Home Community Foundation and the Sweet Home Swim Club find a way to raise money to construct a new pool.
The agreement is a reaffirmation of a decision council reached previously when the pool was proposed to voters in a May bond measure that failed by eight votes. The nearly $4 million bond would have provided funds to build a new pool and rebuild the track, which is closed to student athletics, and tennis courts. Voters did pass a larger bond, nearly $19 million, for other improvements, including reconstruction of the high school.
Rich Birky, speaking on behalf of the Sweet Home Swim Club, approached the council at its regular July 24 meeting to find out if the partnership the council had previously accepted was still available if the $2.8 million could be raised to build the new pool.
The original agreement was that the City of Sweet Home would split operation and maintenance costs evenly with School District 55, which covers those costs on the existing building. Under the original agreement, those costs were estimated in the neighborhood of $150,000 each.
Birky said the group was asking for an identical agreement.
“We feel there’s enough support in the community, since (the bond) failed by eight votes,” Birky said.
Councilman Dick Hill said he had received several complaints about the sewer and water rate increases. He also was concerned about the impact on senior citizens.
“I have a hard time going before the citizens of this town and saying, yes,” Hill said, especially after voters just turned the new pool down. “I think we’re going to run into trouble with that as a council.”
Birky reiterated the small margin failure for the bond and pointed out that the pool is used heavily by senior citizens.
“We had an agreement on the bond,” Councilman Bob McIntire said. “But if someone can still come up with the money, I’ll throw my support behind the pool.”
Councilman Jim Bean moved that the council support the efforts of the Community Foundation to acquire the funds and partnership efforts in maintenance and operation of a new pool.
“Is this really just support in principal?” Hill asked. “I can go along with that at this point.”
Voting in favor of the motion were McIntire, Tim McQueary, Mayor Craig Fentiman, Hill, Bean and Robert G. Danielson. Jim Gourley was absent.