Swimming pool concepts top council agenda
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Swimming pool concepts led the agenda at the Monday, April 5 meeting of the Mount Ayr city council.
Two architecture/engineering firms presented concepts for a potential new swimming pool at Judge Lewis Park.
Because the lead architects from ISG could not be present at Monday’s meeting due to conflict, the company sent a PowerPoint presentation for the council’s review.
The cost estimate from IGS ranged from a high of $7.4 million to a low of $5.3 million.
Following the IGS presentation, Andrew Pennekamp and Amber Wyatt of the JEO Consulting Group of Ankeny walked the council through its conceptual plan and cost estimates.
The cost estimate from JEO came in at approximately $4.6 million.
Both estimates included attractions such as a lazy river, large slide, and a climbing wall.
Both provided for a zero-slope entrance area and an area set aside for toddlers, along with separate areas for wading, leisure swimming, and diving.
The inclusion of certain attractions in future design concepts will depend largely on how the city plans to pay for the project.
City administrator Brent Wise estimated the city could provide up to an approximate $1 million from its pool fund, donations, and a possible levy.
Jodie Geist, who serves as the city’s grant writer, estimated several hundred thousands of dollars worth of grants might be available for application, but those sources carried no guarantee of being funded.
After about an hour’s discussion, the council voted to work with the JEO firm to move forward with additional concept designs and project guidance.
Prior to making any final decisions on the pool project, the council intends to seek community input as to what residents want in a completed design.
Other business
In other business, the council:
• approved a list of lifeguards for the 2021 swimming season. They include Kalee Wise, Kaylie Shields, Tegan Streit, Madalyn Stewart, Samantha Stewart, Ryce Reynolds, Kacee Klommhaus, Kylian Wise, Hayden Ruggles and Hope Whittington.
They will join Blair Glendenning and Myles Greene as pool manager and assistant manager, respectively, who were hired at a previous council meeting.
New hires will start out with a wage of $9.00/hr, and previous guards will receive a $0.25 increase in pay. Any future guards who apply if approved by Wise may be hired to expand the number of guards needed.
• approved an application from Precision Building and Spray Foam Insulation for a $15,000 loan from the Mount Ayr Town Square Project.
• approved the installation of a lighted sign above Abstract and Title Company at 115 S. Fillmore Street.
• denied an application to operate a commercial rabbit business in a residential area. The council agreed keeping rabbits as pets was OK, but a commercial venture violated city zoning ordinances.
• heard plans from Wise to rock the sewer plant road and the road running along the east side of Loch Ayr.
• approved the recommendation from Wise to move the residential yard waste site from the north end of Loch Ayr to the waste water treatment plant site.
• approved the sale of excess/obsolete city equipment at the purplewave.com online auction site.
