Family aquatics center plans approved
Hillsboro City Council approved conceptual plans July 15 for the new family aquatics center at 600 W. D Street. Nancy Ronto of Burbach Aquatics reviewed plans page by page with council members.
The opening date for the pool is set for Memorial Day weekend 2006.
"We want to tie the opening into Memorial Day weekend festivities," said Mayor Delores Dalke. "We want the grand opening that weekend."
According to Ronto, Burbach projects are bid in combinations of one to three contractors. Ronto said any combination can occur which creates a healthier bidding environment for the city.
"I'm seeing these plans for the first time right along with you," said Ronto.
As construction begins, progress meetings will be held every three to four weeks, then every two weeks, and then every week. Ronto said her job "is to make sure everybody plays nice on the playground and sticks to the schedule.
"Burbach Aquatics really, really, really works hard to bring these projects in on time and on budget," said Ronto. "One of the biggest things that can blow a budget out of the water is that people start stalling. The general contractor sets the pace and the other contractors have to keep up."
Ronto said a pool the size of the one being built in Hillsboro would normally have six or seven different pours. Burbach will only allow three different pours because the less opportunity for breaks in the concrete the more secure the vessel is.
"In 28 years we [Burbach Aquatics] have never had a leak," said Ronto. "One of the reasons is because we don't allow as many joints. The joints we do allow for are expansion/contraction joints which are engineered for movement."
Ronto said the plans will be reviewed three more times before they are sent to the contractors.
The next item of business for the council was the use of Memorial Field by Marion County Fair Board.
"I've been contacted by the fair board," said Garrett. "They want to locate the carnival on the outfield of Memorial Field. I think there is a lack of imagination going on about where else the carnival could go. I feel the council has made it clear to preserve the investment on the ballfield."
Garrett asked the council for direction in the matter.
"The fair board wants to use the outfield. How does the council feel about it?" Garret asked.
"If we are going to continue to let different entities use the outfield, we are spending tax payers money unwisely," said council member Matt Hiebert.
According to Garrett, a fair official told him that the fair board thought they had checked with whom they thought they needed to about using Memorial Park.
"If we have a rain, the outfield grass will be trashed," said Hiebert. "Is someone going to come in a replace the grass?"
Garrett said the fair board had made an "ambiguous offer" to repair any damage to the field.
"We have an investment in the ball field we need to protect," said Garrett. "The suggestion to use the field was posed and I'm posing it to the council."
It was the consensus of the council to work with the fair board for alternatives to using Memorial Field
