by Bea Peterson
“That pool has taught thousands of kids to swim over the years,” said Hoosick Town Supervisor Mark Surdam at the Special Board Meeting held on Thursday, January 24. More than 20 people attended the meeting, including Hoosick Falls Mayor David Borge, Deputy Mayor Ric DiDonato, former Town Supervisor Keith Cipperly and former Town Councilman Kevin Allard. As Court was in session upstairs, the meeting was held downstairs in the Armory.
[private]The almost two and a half hour meeting was called by Supervisor Surdam to discuss what should be done about repairing the Town Pool and the surrounds. There to answer questions about repairs and costs were Rich Laberge and Phil Koziol of the Laberge Group. The Group had been hired by the Town Board months ago to look over the pool area and provide input to the Board as to what needed to be done and the cost. The latest figure submitted by Laberge was an estimate of $793,000 for upgrades and repairs to the pool and upgrades to the pool house.
The questions asked by those attending the meeting and by the Board were about what type of surface covering would be the best and the longest lasting for the pool. Councilman Dave Sutton asked whether repairing the current pool was the best option or should a whole new pool be put in. He noted that there were no visible cracks in the surface of the current pool. Town Recreation Director Tom Margiotta, who worked for NYS Parks and Recreation for many years, cited several State pools that were retained and refurbished successfully. Everyone agreed that proper maintenance once the pool is refurbished will be key to its continued longevity.
Estimates are that a new vinyl liner will last ten years, a fiberglass liner 15 years and a gunite coating perhaps longer. Laberge noted that the cost of each type of lining will be determined in part by how far the company that does the work will have to travel to the site and what type of surface is best for this climate.
The sonar testing done this fall proved that the pool was in relatively good shape. Water has gotten in behind the outside of the pool and some of the rebar may have to be replaced. It was noted that the sonar report was not easy to read. Laberge agreed as he tried to explain some of the readings shown. Drainage to prevent water getting behind the pool again generated more discussion, as did other preventative measures. Also discussed at length were the different types of liners and their value. Another issue is meeting more stringent Health Department requirements than those years ago. Laberge reminded the Board that the Health Department will
work with the Town to see that as many requirements as possible are met. New skimmers, new pumps and handicapped accessibility to the pool were also discussed. One of the good points about the pool is that after being there for 50 years, it has settled as much as it ever will. There will also be changes to the diving board to meet new requirements.
Pool House
Someone said walking into the pool house was like walking into a real life museum. Councilman Bruce Patire asked what was the point of having the pool ADA accessible, if the restrooms were not. He suggested building a new pool house. Laberge concurred that that would be the least expensive way to do it.
Pool Important
Everyone at the meeting agreed that the pool is a major asset and huge selling point for the community and it adds to the Village and Town’s quality of life. Town Clerk Sue Stradinger noted that neither the pool nor the Town’s other programs ever make money for the Town, though those programs are very important to the community. It was also noted that other area Towns take advantage of the pool, and depend on it, for their summer programs.
Mayor Borge pointed out that the pool is not just a Town issue, it’s a community issue and should be considered an investment in the marketing strategy of the entire community.
The discussion continued and thoughts turned to developing a master plan for the pool complex over a three to five year period. Some things may have to be done at the same time, such as a pump house for the pool. Grants or shared services were considered, though they would not be available in time to be of any help regarding the pool. Supervisor Surdam said that the Town does have the money to repair the pool.
Finally, the Board passed a Resolution authorizing the Laberge Group to put out Requests For Proposals (RFPs) for lining and repairing the pool. Laberge agreed to have the RFPs ready in the next two weeks for the Board to review and then the Group would send them out. He expected the RFPs would be in by mid-March.Allowing for acceptance and six weeks for construction, the pool would be completed by the end of June. Everyone was in agreement that if the pool is only open for a short time this summer, that is the way it is.
After the meeting Cipperly and Allard said they were disappointed that the whole project would not be done at one time as they had hoped when they were in office.
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