By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend City Council is ready to get its feet wet. A pair of agenda items for next Monday's meeting involves the approval of a final design of a new swimming pool at Brit Spaugh Park, and the approval of a design contract. If approved, the city could move forward on the $9.3 million project, which is expected to be completed by the end of May 2027.
The city currently has a 0.15 percent quality of life sales tax, and a new pool was one of the top priorities identified to use the funds. Last year, the tax raised just under $730,000, and the city conservatively budgets $715,000 annually. The estimated annual bond payment for the pool would be approximately $566,000 over 20 years, with interest rates that vary from year to year.
In October, the city released the first renderings of a new pool. A pool committee has met four times to discuss design changes, and a final rendering will be voted on Monday night. The existing feature slides and shallow water area on the northeast side of the pool will remain, and will need to be gel-coated and re-painted.
The proposed pool is 11,047 square feet, which is slightly smaller than the current 11,992 square-foot pool. The final design includes a 215-foot-long lazy river, one-meter and three-meter diving boards, a 34-foot-tall fly-time slide, a 31-foot-tall open-body slide, a basketball goal, a climbing wall, and eight swimming lanes. The design also includes American Disability Act slides, spray features and multiple shade areas positioned around the pool.
Along with approving a final design of the pool, the council will also vote on a design contract with JEO.
Before the council votes on the contract with JEO, it must authorize publication and initiation of the notice and protest periods for a general obligation bond to fund the project. After notice, a 30-day protest period would go into effect. If at least five percent of electors who voted in the most recent general election file a valid protest petition, it could delay or prevent the issuance of bonds for the project.
