The Trenton City Council listens to a list of repairs needed for the city’s outdoor pool during an Oct. 3 study session.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspaper
TRENTON – Immediate repairs needed for the city’s outdoor swimming pool, plus a study to ascertain the cost of long-term repairs were outlined Oct. 3 by Parks and Recreation Director Tim Beaker.
The City Council study session let Beaker explain both the known and unknown costs to keep the city pool operational for residents.
He said in a worst-case scenario, if all the gutters around the outside of the pool needed to be replaced, along with all the concrete around the outside of the pool and other ancillary work, it would cost about $1 million to do the work.
Trenton City Controller Karen Sall (left) and Parks and Recreation Director Tim Beaker answer questions Oct. 3 during a study session concerning repairs needed for the city’s outdoor swimming pool.
Beaker said that for $13,500, the company he is working with would go in and patch the known issues, tear up some of the concrete behind those issues, determine what conditions are leading to the problem and then pressure-test the system to see how many additional leaks exist.
“Basically, they are going to be chasing the problem to see how much they can accomplish with that $13,500,” he said. “I don’t anticipate it being a lot. I think there is a lot of surface stuff they can attack and get into, but I don’t think it’s going to be a long-term fix.”
Beaker said that not many concrete companies want to work with the concrete around an existing pool, because the gutter system is in place, along with a line of thick caulk between the gutter and the concrete.
He said by working with the Department of Public Services, they have done patch work around the pool and they have ground the concrete to make sure there are no uneven surfaces, for which Wayne County officials come out annually to check.
Beaker said that while the short-term maintenance is regularly addressed, the long-term work must be addressed eventually.
City Councilmember Nelson Perugi said he had several concerns.
“We have no idea what this albatross is going to cost us – none whatsoever,” he said. “We are just tapping potentially into the surface of what we might think is a million dollars.”
Perugi said the cost could be much higher because there could be underlying sand or soil that has shifted.
“My concern is that we lose $250,000 a year on that pool, and in two years that is half a million,” he said. “We are just getting out of the bonds and putting a lot of money back into it and I am concerned that this is going to be a loss-leader of $2.5 million over the next two years.”
Beaker said he is concerned about the availability of life guards and how many patrons will visit the pool.
He said Trenton has one of the few remaining outdoor city pools in southeast Michigan outside of Dearborn.
City Controller Karen Sall said the next big question in front of the council is how it will finance the pool repair work, as well as looking at ways to increase attendance, which could help the pool increase revenue.
Beaker said that while the pandemic created some problems, it all presented some advantages.
He said they looked at their pool usage procedures, as well as the peak times for pool usage and when swimmers were arriving, which allow them to create a more flexible staff schedule.
Mayor Steve Rzeppa said that any decision regarding the city’s pool will be difficult, but he doesn’t want to pay for any major repairs using a straight fund balance.