 |
The sprawling saga of Spokane Valley’s swimming pools may be finally reaching its end.
But the Spokane Valley City Council got a sting like chlorine in the eyes on Tuesday – the $2 million the city thought it would take to get the work done has blossomed to $2.9 million. The council – despite the objections of Council Member Steve Taylor – agreed to award the contract to Kilgore Construction, one of two bidders, for that amount.
“It’s hard for me to vote in favor of this when it’s even higher than before,” Taylor said.
Park Road, Valley Mission and Terrace View pools – while all aging – are all in good condition, according to a consulting firm hired by the city three years ago. However, all need renovations and a parks study determined that added amenities like a water slide (at Park), a leisure/training pool with zero-depth entry (at Valley Mission), and a “lazy river” (at Terrace View) could woo swimmers away from area lakes and the indoor pool at the YMCA.
This is actually the second time the city has advertised for bids on the pool. When advertised before, only one firm came forward with a price that was deemed beyond the city’s budget. Other companies were tied up with other pool projects and the time the work needed to be done was too short in order to be ready for the 2008 season.
With the council’s blessing, city staff readvertised the project, changing the parameters of the construction timeline so the winning company could work through the winter to prepare for the summer of 2009. That idea, however, seemed to backfire on the city. While two bidders came forward this time around, the lowest bidder’s price was $150,000 higher than before.
“We were very surprised by the bid,” Worley said. “As you can see, the cost actually increased.”
Worley said the cost went up because the contractor will have to rent equipment and pay for manpower for a longer period of time. By law, the city cannot go back to the original winning bidder. The city did have the option, however, of rebidding the contract one more time. The risk of the price going even higher, however, was too great for the council.
“If anything, (the cost) is just going to go up,” Mayor Richard Munson said.
All is not doom and gloom, though. The city of Spokane Valley still has $1.6 million promised from Spokane County prior to incorporation. In 2002, the county was prepared to spend the money for a 25-yard lap pool and a zero-depth entry toddler pool at Valley Mission Pool. A concession area, slides, locker rooms and “family areas” next to the pool were all part of the plan.
Those plans, however, were derailed after construction bids came in $250,000 overbudget in 2003. By that time, Spokane Valley had incorporated, and the commissioners decided to hold the money to give to the new city to build a pool to its own specifications.
“So we still have that money?” Munson asked.
“Yes,” City Manager David Mercier replied. “The actual expenditure is less than what it could be.”
Many members of the community have come forward requesting that the city build an indoor pool somewhere, perhaps near Spokane Valley Senior Center at CenterPlace. Those plans have been deemed cost prohibitive at this time.
Click
here to...
Subscribe to the Spokane Valley News Herald
|
|
By
Mike Huffman
