Pool architect says costs can be reduced
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Officials had approved a 12-year capital outlay note for $2 million last month and had reported they were confident costs would be somewhere between $1.8 million and $2.2 million. But when bids came in last week, it was more than anticipated.
They requested a meeting with the architect and contractor, and after yesterday’s meeting, thought about $300,000 of materials could be trimmed from the specifications.
“We’re happy with the quality of our project and we understand we have to take some of the pretty stuff out of it and still have a functional pool,” architect Michael Manous of Lebanon told the contractor in the meeting.
Some items addressed in the cost-saving scenario included, for example, a decorative fence, metal roof coverings, pavilions, promotional materials and a stainless-steel gutter system.
Officials said instead of providing those items, a chain link fence could be substituted for the decorative one, pavilions eliminated, promotional materials eliminated and the stainless-steel system substituted with a PVC one.
They also asked the contractor to re-examine items such as restrooms for the Jungle Jym that officials have been trying to address for years, a walkway located near the tennis courts and an entrance area to the new pool, which the architect considered part of park projects, not necessarily a pool project.
“The board approved a project for a certain amount of money and we allowed other things to creep in there,” Manous said.
Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Donald Hillis said he was pleased with progress made in attempting to reduce costs.