VERGENNES — At the Oct. 24 meeting of the Vergennes City Council, board members took a concrete action that should prove popular: They approved $3,880 in repairs to the city pool.
Many residents in the past two years have urged the council to pay more attention to the pool, calling it probably the city’s most valuable recreation asset.
On this past Tuesday, the council unanimously backed City Manager Mel Hawley’s recommendation to spend $3,880 to caulk the joints around the edge of the pool and all the joints in the decking around the pool.
Hawley said the money could come from a projected surplus of about $14,800 from 2017 pool operations, one that he has said in the past comes from increased participation in the Vergennes Champs swim team, streamlined costs under a new pool manager, and labor and materials savings from having sewer department workers handle pool water treatment.
“I don’t see any need to tap into any of our reserve funds” to pay for the work, Hawley said.
Hawley said he is discussing with the council’s pool advisory committee other items, including filter covers and a hot water tank, and he told the council he hopes those and other projects can also be done using the fund balance before the pool opens in the spring.
Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at [email protected].