Ebensburg OKs bid for pool repairs

Facility to reopen after initial bid reduced by nearly $500,000

EBENSBURG -- The borough swimming pool will reopen this year after council members approved using a grant they received to make necessary repairs.

On Monday, council approved a $171,700 bid from Avalotis Corp., which was reduced from the original $657,425 bid, to make repairs to only the shallow end of its swimming pool.

The project will repair the gutter wells, some major plaster and a landing pad in the "kiddie pool," council member Theresa Jacoby said.

The project was estimated to cost the borough between $250,000 and $300,000 to repair the entire pool. After the borough's staff looked into why the Avalotis Corp. bid was exponentially above the estimated cost, they discovered it was intentionally overestimated, said Borough Manager Kelly Cook.

"They know that they overestimated it," she said, noting Avalotis officials couldn't see the deep end, and therefore overestimated it. "That's why they split it out to give us the kiddie pool versus the entire pool."

According to Cook, officials can still use a $134,600 grant the borough received for the project, which will cover the expenses for that portion, she said.

Cook said the council will need to bid out the other part of the project next year for repairs to the rest of the pool.

Although they don't know exactly how much the remaining costs will be, it's estimated to be under $100,000, Cook said, adding there could be other grants available for additional funding.

Recreation Director Dirk Johnson said the deep end of the pool "is not really bad."

"There's not much that needs done there at all," he said.

Johnson said there is a potential the deeper end could need repairs if this year's winter weather conditions cause damage to the pool.

"Next year, we would possibly have to bid that out depending on the weather and how much freezing and melting happens at the pool. Once we get into the spring to see how our winter was, that's usually when we're able to tell," he said.

He said the project for the shallow end of the pool has to be finished before May 27, the tentative opening date for the borough's swimming pool.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.