There was little appetite Tuesday from East Grand Forks City Council members for anything beyond a small project to improve its outdoor swimming pool.
They didn't even want the input of the electorate, whether through a citywide vote or an opinion survey. All they offered Tuesday was lukewarm support for the most basic of projects to fix a pool that was built in 1958.
At a work session, a majority of council members said they will support a $250,000 liner for the pool and its gutters, unless the liner's only purpose is to save on water loss. And they might spend up to another $180,000 for a bathhouse renovation.
However, there was no voiced support for any further improvement by anyone other than Mark Olstad, a first-year council member whose wife, Melody, is a leader of the Save Our Pool committee.
"SOP will still try to put amenities into the pool," Mark Olstad said. "SOP has wanted to find out which way we're going so they can market it."
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The council nixed all five proposed pool projects, which ranged from $1.5 million to $6 million. It also voiced no support for a referendum or a telephone survey, options that each would cost from $10,000 to $15,000.
"Our taxpayers can't afford a new pool," Council member Greg Leigh said. "If people want a pool like Canad Inns or Choice Fitness has, they can have their birthday parties there."
However, City Administrator Scott Huizenga cautioned that the council might face a tougher pool decision in a few years.
"The pool still works," he said. "But the council has to prepare for when it doesn't work. It may last 10 years or it may lose a pipe in the first week it's open."
Parks and Recreation Superintendent Dave Aker said the 55-year-old pool has problems.
"The reason we haven't kept it up is that we thought we were getting a new one," he said.
Call Bakken at (701) 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1125; or send email to rbakken@gfherald.com .
