Charles City Parks & Rec Board picks Ankeny firm to help with pool decisions

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A divided Charles City Parks and Recreation Board agreed Wednesday evening to hire an Ankeny firm to help the board make decisions regarding the future of outdoor swimming in the community.

Part of the decision was a discussion whether the views of board members who were not at the meeting should be included in the choice.

The company chosen will first be tasked with doing a full evaluation of the existing outdoor swimming pool at Lion’s Field Park, to help decide if the more than 30-year-old structure can be repaired or renovated, and how those costs compare with building a new pool.

The company could also be involved in design work on a refurbished or replacement pool; helping decide whether a new pool should be built at the current location or somewhere else; helping raise funds to pay for the project, including a role in soliciting donations, helping write grants and helping build support for a general obligation bond referendum if one is needed; and even overseeing construction.

At the start of the discussion, Tyler Mitchell, director of the city Parks and Recreation Department, asked each of the five board members present to say whether they preferred JEO Consulting Group of Ankeny, or Burbach Aquatics of Platteville, Wisconsin, and why.

The two companies had been the finalists picked by the board after five firms responded to a request for qualifications, and both had made in-person presentations to the board.

Diane Meyer said she preferred Burbach, because she liked the company’s engineer who was at the presentation, and liked his answers regarding the potential of salvaging the current pool for future use.

Dana Sullivan said she preferred JEO, because Burbach deals exclusively with aquatic centers, but JEO is a more general design and engineering company that might be able to help the board with other decisions and projects.

She also liked that one of the persons who spoke at JEO’s presentation has 10 years experience in city government and is familiar with the inevitable red tape and other considerations the project will face, and she also liked that the company tries to use local mechanical and geotechnical services.

Chris Eldridge said she preferred Burbach, saying she also liked what the company’s engineer had said, and liked that the company was exclusively an aquatics firm. She also liked the company’s success record on helping pass bond referendums, and that the company designs its pool vessels to last 50 years.

Sarah Barrett said she agreed on Burbach, for many of the reasons Meyer and Eldridge has said. She said she also thought the JEO presentation sounded like it was one the company had given over and over, while Burbach’s presentation seemed to be aimed especially at Charles City.

Cory Mutch said he preferred JEO, because the company seemed more focused on the board’s and the community’s needs and he thought that company would do a better job helping the community with raising funds for a project.

After each of the five board members had spoken, the vote was 3-2 in favor of Burbach.

Mayor Dean Andrews said he preferred JEO, because he thought that company has a newer, fresher approach, and City Council liaison Phoebe Pittman also said she liked JEO, agreeing the company seemed fresher.

Neither the mayor nor the City Council liaison has a vote, however.

Mitchell said he thought either company would do a good job for the board and the community, but he also preferred JEO, because he thought that company placed more emphasis on working with the community.

“JEO designs to what you want – every pool is different,” Mitchell said. Based on the pool designs Burbach presented, “they all look similar,” he said.

He also said he appreciates that JEO placed a greater emphasis on using local contractors, which would make his life easier if 15 years later there was a problem that needed to be addressed with a new or refurbished pool.

Mitchell doesn’t get a vote, either, but he said he talked with the two missing board members – Jeff Otto and Adam Buseman – by telephone before the meeting and they both preferred JEO.

As the board members discussed whether Otto’s and Buseman’s opinions should be counted since they weren’t there to vote, the members agreed that either way the board decided there would be some of them who disagreed with the decision.

If they adopted the viewpoint that those who show up are the ones who get to decide, they would do so knowing that a majority of the board members disagreed with their choice.

If they decided that the thoughts of all seven members should be considered, then the three who made up a majority of those actually present at the meeting would be disappointed.

The board members briefly discussed calling a special meeting to make a decision and making attendance mandatory, but even several of the members present Wednesday said there are things that come up that prevent attendance, whether you call a meeting “mandatory” or not.

Meyer said it was becoming apparent that if all seven members were present the vote would go for JEO, so, she said, she agreed all seven members’ choices should be considered and the decision should be made at that meeting.

Eldridge and Barrett agreed, and the “vote” was 4-3 in favor of JEO.

Also at the meeting Wednesday evening, the Parks & Rec Board:

• Again discussed options for a new skate park. Board member Otto has said he is working with a group – as yet unnamed – that would be willing to donate up to $18,000 toward a new skate park.

Mitchell said the board has $10,000 in its budget for a skate park, so they potentially have $28,000 to spend now.

A concrete pad of the type of concrete designed for a skating park would cost about $20,000, Mitchell said, and a pad of “regular” concrete would be about $18,000.

Equipment for the park would cost $13,000 to $20,000, depending on the number and type of features.

Eldridge wondered if they could pour a smaller pad and put a couple of pieces on it now, then expand when more money is available.

Mayor Andrews said another option was to get all the features they want now and put them on existing concrete – possibly where the old skate park was located next to the swimming pool – and move them when enough money was available for a new pad.

The board discussed asking for donations and writing grants, and agreed they would attempt to raise more money and seek a reduced price for the concrete as a donation so they can have a new pad and the skating features.

• Heard from Mitchell that he is learning how to use the whitewater course on the Cedar River so that he and Charles City teacher Rob Pittman can offer classes to students in the fall and spring. Mutch said he has some experience on the course and has all the equipment, and he could help out, too.

Andrews said he thought that was a great idea, because people come from all over to use the whitewater course, yet relatively few people who live in Charles City use it. Giving people training and experience while they are young could change that, he said.