Dear Editor,
I believe the City Council decision to re-locate the city pool to Blinn Park IS A MISTAKE!!
I have managed the city pool and AmBuc pool in Ponca, and have over 30+years training Lifeguards and Water Safety Instructors, etc.
We NEED A CITY POOL.. Every kid needs to learn how to swim, do a water rescue, etc. Our kids need a summer activity that is cheap, local, and a place for swimming lessons. The current location offers a shady, quiet, area, with the pump house that works. The other buildings need to be updated, but are in decent shape.
It makes no sense to me to build a pool in an already crowded park, with little or no parking to support the new pool, and its an area with water/ drainage issues. Other questions are, Why only a 2 year warrenty when other contractors offer 4 or 5.
Why is this 2 year warrenty LIMITED on what it will cover ??. They praise the Contractor and his decision to build at Blinn Park, who assures the council he can build it there, but hey, pay ME a million $$, and I will build a pool anywhere you want, and say its a good idea! too.
As I read the engineer report a lot of it deals with test results, etc, but does not come out and say, that building at Blinn is a good idea, or that its preferable to building at the current location.
In fact, there is NOT an Engineer report of the current pool location, to compare the two. I have yet to hear a good viable reason why the council, voted to go with Blinn Park as a location.
As I see it, parking will be an issue, as recent ball games have shown. Water drainage, stable soil conditions to accomodate the new pool are very questionable.
There was a pool committee formed, and we spent months talking to contractors, doing research, etc...After studying all that information, the current location was recommended, not Blinn Park.
The people need to vote on this in my opinion.
Mike Schatz
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