City officials will ask residents for guidance on the fate of Sunset Pool during a November advisory referendum.
The pool was built more than 40 years ago. Since that time the pool has needed several repairs across the years, including a repair project done about 12 years ago that was designed to extend the life of the pool by 10 years, according to the city newsletter.
The Nov. 5 referendum question posed to voters reads: “Should the city council replace the swimming facility at Sunset Park with a new facility with the following conditions: (1) spending and/or borrowing on the facility is not to exceed $3.5 million and;: (2) The facility will be built within the corporate limits of the city of Elkhorn?”
The city council is not bound by the referendum results.
The following items would likely be among the minimum requirements for a new facility: zero-depth entry, a Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant pool and bath house, six competitive swimming lanes and starting blocks, a dual-sided concession stand to serve pool and park activities, a diving area, an expended deck and a slide.
Voting will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 5 at the city recreation center in Sunset Park.
I question the wisdom in spending $10,000 for this “election” when the board is not bound by the results. Another “feel good” attempt at governing?
I don’t see any mention of $10,000 in the article above??? According to the city council meeting minutes, state law prohibited this from being a binding referendum, so the “feel good” governing came directly from state law not from the city council.
I will admitt that my $10,000 was a bit high-actual cost is around $7000.00 and while not mentioned in the article, this figure came directly from city hall. In addition, I don’t care where the “feel good” attempts at governing come from-just that they happen with greater frequency and impact the bottom line locally, and at the state and federal levels.