Council gets in the swim with pool plans
It is official — work on the family aquatic center could begin as early as September.
Hillsboro City Council approved Tuesday an agreement with Burbach Aquatics to build the pool. According to city administrator Steve Garrett, bids will be let before Labor Day.
The new aquatic center will bring new staff and that was one topic at Tuesday's meeting. The tentative plan is for the aquatic director to be a full-time position with the heated pool opening earlier in the season and closing later. The manager of the pool would assist current Hillsboro Recreation Director Matt Dalke during the off season.
Council members discussed a job description and stipulated the job will be a permanent, full-time position. However, Garrett was scheduled to begin interviews on Wednesday.
"We have a nice selection of applicants," Garrett said. "We can work out a job description."
The intent of the city is to hire a pool manager for this summer who will continue as the manager of the aquatic center. No salary has be set.
The council also agreed the bonds will not exceed $2.75 million.
"We sold the pool to the community at $2.5 million," said council member Len Coryea, "and we need to fulfill our promise."
Seven of the 12 planned borings have been drilled on the proposed site of the new lagoons. The city expects the soil analysis back by the end of the week.
The council discussed opposition to the site of the new lagoons.
"There are some Hillsboro Development Corporation members and some landowners with concerns," said Garrett. "We want to answer questions. We want to make decisions based on facts."
Garrett proposed council members and HDC members visiting similar sized communities with lagoons.
"Regulatory agencies are not concerned about the safety of lagoons," he said, "but we need to address all concerns."
The government imposes guidelines the city will have to follow in order to build the lagoons.
"This is the normal way to handle waste water in Kansas," said Mayor Delores Dalke. "But people don't want lagoons in their backyard. We're just normal."
According to Garrett, the two most often mentioned concerns he has heard are about the smell and the reduction of property value.
City attorney Dan Baldwin proposed hiring Bryson Mills, municipal judge for Florence, Marion, and Peabody, as Hillsboro's hearing officer.
"He is familiar with the ordinance," Baldwin said.
Garrett will visit with Mills before action is taken on the position.
In other business the council:
— learned that bids for the water treatment plant will be let in May.
— learned that the location of Cottonwood Cheese Company is under option.
— learned renovation of the city building rest rooms is complete except for hanging the mirrors.
— learned the Main Street project will start by May 2.
— discussed projects to be complete by city workers before Hillsboro Folk Festival.
