Charles City Parks and Rec Board ponders possible pool features that could be part of renovation project

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Members of the Charles City Parks and Recreation Board looked over potential features that could be added to a renovated municipal swimming pool, with a potential pricetag of more than $2.5 million if they would agree to every feature that was proposed by the board’s consulting firm.

Any new features would be in addition to the estimated $1.3 million it would take to repair the existing 32-year-old aquatic center.

The members of the board mostly agreed on which of the features were their priorities, including a splash pad, more amenities for young kids in the shallow end of the pool and some features that might attract older kids in the deeper end.

Some of the members also quickly abandoned other suggestions, such as a $750,000 “current channel” that would be built inside the existing pool – not as big as a lazy river where people could float along on inflatables, but big enough for people to play or exercise by moving with or against the current.

“I just don’t know if that’s worth what it costs,” said board member Sarah Barrett, with board member Diane Meyer saying she agreed.

The sentiment against a current channel was not unanimous, though.

“I realize it’s a lot of money, but I also think it’s a feature that would divide up our average pool and give it a little something extra” to stand out from neighboring communities’ pools, said board member Cory Mutch.

Parks and Recreation Department Director Tyler Mitchell said he also liked that a current channel feature could be a place where parents could walk and talk while their kids were in the pool.

The current channel was by far the most expensive feature proposed by JEO Consulting Group, an engineering and design firm from Ankeny.

Potential features and costs were:

• Current channel – $750,000
• Splash pad accessible from inside and outside the pool area – $600,000.
• Multi-purpose water feature in the shallow end with spray features and an interactive wall – $500,000
• A different set of younger child features in the shallow end – $400,000.
• NinjaCross Mini obstacle course in the medium depth area – $100,000.
• Rock climbing wall in the deep end – $50,000.
• Bench and shade area extending into the water between the shallow and mid-level areas – $50,000.
• Zip line rope swing in the deep end – $40,000.
• Smaller kids water slide in shallow area – $30,000.
• Floatables in medium depth area – $20,000.
• Basketball hoop – $5,000

Andy Pennekamp, a professional engineer with JEO, was in Charles City for the meeting, with others from JEO on video conferencing.

Pennakamp said that, based on what he was hearing from the group, the firm should concentrate on the splash pad, NinjaCross Mini, climbing wall, a couple of anchored inflatables, the mid channel sitting area and more shade, more shade throughout the facility and a play structure in the shallow end.

He said his group would go into more detail on what it would take and what it would potentially cost to add those features and present that information at the next board meeting, in April.

Pennekamp also discussed potential financing options, saying the project would be difficult to finance without a public referendum approving the sale of general corporate purpose bonds for $2 million to $3 million.

Assuming a $3 million bond at 4% interest, that would add $1.34 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to the city’s debt service levy for 10 years, or about $75 a year ($6.25 per month) to a home with an assessed valuation of $100,000, according to figures that Pennekamp had worked out with City Administrator Steve Diers, who was also at the Parks & Rec Board meeting.

Part of the funding could also come from a couple of large grants that the city could apply for, the potentially largest being an Iowa CAT (Community Attraction and Tourism) Grant that could add $300,000 to $450,000.

Some of the grants require that a certain amount already be raised, so private fundraising could likely also be part of the total funding, Pennekamp said.

Potential dates for a bond special election would be in September this year or March 2024. Some of the timing would depend on whether the school district or other entities are holding bond votes at the same time, he said.

Pennekamp said that adding some of the features would require having one to three more lifeguards on duty, including some in the deep end that would require a dedicated lifeguard when those features are in use.

To pay for the extra cost of those lifeguards, Pennekamp recommended that the board consider increasing the pool admittance fee.

He said the average cost to use the facility based on 2022 attendance was $2.82 per person, accounting for all the different age categories, punch cards and season passes.

The average cost of admittance for area pools is $5.40, he said.

Pennekamp said raising the average Charles City cost to $3.46 would fund one additional lifeguard, to $4.10 would fund two additional lifeguards, and to $4.75 would fund three additional lifeguards, although board members replied that lifeguard wages are increasing as competition with other businesses for workers increases.

Mitchell said lifeguards are getting a $1 an hour increase this year, to more than $10 or more than $9, depending on experience

The hope is also that renovating the pool and adding features will increase attendance.

Average daily attendance in 2021 was 182 persons per day, and last year it was 163 persons per day. That compares to numbers in the 300s in the years after the pool first opened in 1991, and in the 200s through much of the 2000s.

The last two years have also had the fewest number of days open since the pool was built.

Mitchell said much of that is due to not having lifeguards.

The lifeguards he hires all play fall sports in school, and practices begin two weeks before school starts, with practices held on weekends as well, he said.