The Smithville Municipal Swimming Pool is scheduled to open by Memorial Day if repairs can be completed in time.
Last month, Secretary Treasurer Hunter Hendrixson said Donald Page from the Department of Health met with city officials and made some recommendations on what he thought needed to be done before opening the pool. “He commented on the interior of the pool being rough as far as the liner goes. We have limited lights. He said only 50% were functional and we need to look at getting those repaired. There’s been some uplifting of some of the concrete around the pool or part of the deck. Depth markings and the hand railing also need to be repaired.”
Jimmy Lewis, operator of the golf course and swimming pool, at that meeting, said based on Page’s advice, he could not open the pool until the repairs were made “He told me not to even get the permits until that was fixed. The liner has cracks in it and our insurance won’t cover it. You’ll have to re-fiberglass it. The fiberglass has got to be redone. We’re supposed to open Memorial Day but it takes two weeks to get it filled up and the water right and people are already calling about booking summer swimming parties.”
Since that meeting, city maintenance workers have done some repair work while the Leisure Specialities Company has been patching cracks in the pool.
Mayor Taft Hendrixson addressed the issue during Monday night’s city council meeting. “Mr. (Roger) Bowman who is repairing that over there, his workers today (Monday) told Mr. (Kevin) Robinson (City Public Works Director) that they would probably be through with all the crack repairs today (Monday). They may lack a little bit on tiling those steps. So it’s basically ready for Mr. Lewis to get ready to open.”