A committee will be formed to continue discussions concerning a potential joint pool facility in the Town of Bremen.
Members of the Bremen Public School Board and the Bremen Town Council met in a work session Saturday morning to begin the discussion to see if there is an interest in a public pool facility at the Bremen Public Schools.
School Superintendent Dr. Jim White said the school pool is in pretty good shape for a pool built in 1978.
“A pool fella came in from Leisure Pools and kinda looked at it and gave us his overview or his vision for it,” explained Dr. White. “Our pool deck has some issues with some broken tile on it that we can address, but we have no de-lamination of the tile in the pool itself. From his estimation for a 40-year-old pool, he said that pool is in a lot better shape than some pools that are 20 years old.”
Park Superintendent Brian Main said the town outdoor pool in Sunnyside Park was built in 1963 with renovations done in 2004 and 2009. The flooding incident in 2018 created some costly issues with repairs needed that could cost upwards of $1 million.
“The superstructure holding the water was damaged during that flood event,” commented Main. “We had a lot of ground water push up from that flood event and the structure both lifted and it cracked and it moved permanently.”
Besides the $5.3 million cost to build a new zero-depth pool at the school to be used year-round and close the town pool, use of the pool was one issue.
“Half as many families are buying pool passes. Back in 2000, 32 single passes were sold. In 2009, we sold 10. Things are changing. In 2000-2001, we averaged over 7,000 swimmers. In the past three years, we’ve averaged under 6,000.”
With a weight room and diving well, the total cost of a joint facility could be upwards of $10 million, based on loose preliminary figures.
Comments were also made that both entities need to keep in mind what other needs exist with the town and structural needs at the school before funds are spent on a venture such as this. Making the school a public pool facility also created concerns about student safety during the school day.
Bremen Director of Operations Trend Weldy thinks that the two pools can be rehabilitated at a lower cost to last another 20 years rather than a joint facility.
Members of the school board, town council and the park board will meet on March 21 at 9 a.m. at Bremen Town Hall to continue feasibility of a facility.
