Alternative pool proposal brought to city and county

Claiming the cost of a renovated municipal pool would be far less than originally thought, a group of citizens lead by Hal Greenwood brought their information to the city and county this week.

In 2005 Burbach Aquatics quoted the City of Grand Marais a span of prices to either renovate the existing pool or build a new one. Those figures ranged from $2 million to $6 million with life spans from 10 to 50 years. The current new community center architects expect a pool built in that proposed complex would run $6-1/2 million.

Greenwood’s estimates were far lower. County Commissioner Bruce Martinson:

“Hal Greenwood too the initiative to seek quotes from a company called Aqua Logic. He presented a package to each of the commissioners stating that the cost for just improving the existing pool, including new doors and windows, refinishing, redoing the interior of the pool would be $447,793.”

Greenwood said he was not against a community center, but he questioned the wisdom of such a large project at this time.

“What we’re proposing is not building something; we’re proposing a maintenance proposal to bring it up to where it should have been – that’s what this is all about. Pools are very expensive to operate. A big building like that, over 40,000 square feet with a pool in it is in these economic times is not right. We’ve got the hospital, we need that, we’ve got the school, we need that. Can we afford another layer of possible operating deficits on to the county? I don’t think we can. There’s no doubt we can get the money from the 1% sales tax to do it. But what happens after that? That’s what my concern is.”

Commissioner Sue Hakes is in the unique position of having been Mayor of Grand Marais and currently chairs the county’s community center task force.

“I think the proposal that Mr. Greenwood brought forward is interesting, but it was very limited in scope. It did not address a lot of the physical issues that currently exist at the Grand Marais swimming pool, nor did it address any of the contractual or legal issues that the city has right now. The proposal is for a very short term fix.

“The thing I find frustrating about that is that with the 1% sales tax funds, we have an opportunity to do something that’s really good for the people who live hereon a long term basis and it’s an opportunity to do something to do something we could never otherwise afford. The county board has identified a swimming pool as being as important part of that and the community has identified a swimming pool as being an important part of that…so I would like to continue working to that end.”

In the meantime, little progress has been made between attorneys representing the city, county and Burbach Aquatics. Burbach maintains that any work involving Grand Marais and a swimming pool designed by someone other than Burbach would violate a contact they claim is still in effect. The city and the county maintain that position is holding the county and its community center hostage and is against the public interest.

Burbach Aquatics is asking $300,000 to settle the contract. The city and county attorneys reject that, but want to continue negotiations. City attorney Chris Hood has asked Burbach to respond to a meeting by no later than Monday the 14th. Otherwise the city would consider it a rejection to further negotiate, leaving them in a position to explore other options to resolve the dispute.