Thursday, July 25, 2024
Columbia County Parks & Recreation Pool District
Regular Meeting
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Columbia County Fire District #3 Meeting Room
Meeting called to order at 5:03 p.m. All Board Members attending.
Fred Crowe representing Friends of the Pool. Jessica Ruffcorn from The Dayton Chronicle.
Minutes of June 27, 2024 approved. Ted, Katie, moved, seconded, approved.
Invited Speaker: Lyle Smith – WMS Aquatics.
Business owner, education, selling products. Commercial Pool Builders.
WMS Aquatics is a 54 year-old company. They build pools for YMCA’s and other entities. They are a commercial driven company. They utilize small rosters, etc. Service division primarily in WA State.
Lyle is a salesman – anything that’s not private he can help; bid and help create; RFP’s and RFQ’s All the work goes to bid.
They are currently working with Colfax Municipal Pool (Phase III). Smaller towns have a tough place to start. Lyle likes to begin with smaller, rural towns.
What should we look for in an architect, engineer, geotechnical engineer, etc.?
Look at Kettle Falls, Upper Columbia Pool District!
WMS Aquatics took care of the design and build. It takes a small group to raise the funds. Kettle Falls was funded by private donations.
Kettle Falls pool – total cost $2.5 million, 44’ x 105’, 25-meter pool. WMS employs experts to confirm site and settle on pool location. Next challenge is how to fund a new pool. WMS determined a Myrtha Pool, new bathhouse, mechanical room, new decks, accommodate existing splash pad, ball fields. 3 heater system. WMS builds redundancy in systems.
Plumbing, fixtures, paint over hall, gas to heaters, sidewalk from splash pad, bathhouse entrance.
WA Health State Department (only 2 people that approve WA State projects work, one lives in GA.) The Health Dept. is key to securing the building permit. County Health Dept. is required to review/approve the build. No requirement for permitting! Contractor builds the pool properly.
CCP&RPD Board members need to visit the Kettle Falls pool ASAP!
WMS prefers to utilize local trades for construction. They only wish to use their own tradesmen for the concrete box and facility plumbing.
WMS are the boots on the ground; but volunteers/locals are the best. Operators must be licensed and bonded.
WMS will qualify the workers/volunteers. For the plumbers, they review qualifications and licenses.
Pitfalls of building a pool
You engage a builder. We have the norm (a large pool builder who builds the pool and moves on). WMS believes their model is a chemical containment vessel! We’ll need their equipment and maintain a long-term relationship.
No more concrete pools. Now they are MYRTHA pools!
What happens when the design doesn’t meet our build expectations?
Design and build all items to maintain and operate pool; thermal blankets, loop lock covers, lane lines, lighting, other pool necessities.
Pools built but can we fund the annual operating (and maintenance) expense?
The annual operating and maintenance costs were included (authority to levy general tax on property up to 20-cents per $1000 assessed value) when the community, Just a Pool group, and Friends of the Pool prepared the resolution for the creation of the Columbia County Parks & Recreation Pool District approved by a vote of the people of Columbia County (excluding the Town of Starbuck and Prescott Joint Parks & Recreation District) Nov. 7, 2023 general election.
Consider the expense of lifeguards.
What kind of timeline? (physical construction)
Expect a year and a half for construction.
Define scope of construction; pool only, add bathhouse, pumphouse, other amenities, etc.
i.e. Kettle Falls – the company (WMS) demo the project in fall, bathhouse was good, needed new mechanical house – slab done…winter all new mechanical work installed. Spring/summer main pool build. Fall pool was put to bed, spring inspection and operating by May, 2024.
WMS is familiar with heating budget, chemicals, and control pumps.
What is the relationship between the builder and the engineers/architects? (slam/bam) WMS values the entire process. We’ll have things that need to be addressed; audibles.
Prepare an RFP for a builder for a pool. Prepare grants (go after funds) for pool construction. Continued training can be addressed by WMS or program person (pool maintenance person) to best manage operating systems; pumps, filters, backwash, opening, closing. Public pool chemistry needs to be recorded twice a day. Must be recorded. Lifeguards can do. Work can be shared. How do we keep the pool maintained?
Build a specific type of pool. There are three types.
Type 1: NO MORE CONCRETE.
Type 2 are Myrtha pools. These are stainless steel, PVC bonded buttressed, floor is a membrane. Cost to renovate is much less than concrete. The main problem with pools is movement. Keep water out from the backside. Old concrete pools get “cancer” rebar rusts and cracks then slowly fail. WMS builds pools with a 25-year structure warranty for a myrtha, 10 warranty for the membrane. It’s a flexible membrane. Resurfacing old pools, re-painting pools, not cost effective. Chemistry goes south. Concrete and plaster….ugh.
The third type is stainless steel pool and full tile, of white, white and white.
Mythra pools are full of water all winter. This leads to a healthier pool with water year-round. What about freezing? Main drains would be in the floor of the pool….in winter add drains, plugs, reduce pump vfd’s low rotation to keep from freezing. Variable water table can be a concern.
If decking does crack, the pool “box” stays in-tact.
Gutter wall and deck allows movement, minimal movement, control joints.
WMS is currently renovating Colfax Pool. Newly plumbed, with a 10-year warranty. Not painted, not plaster. Effective renovation techniques.
Suggest our location to a licensed geotechnical expert to review appropriate placement of the pool facility.
WMS installs the Ford/Chevy of equipment, but prefers to be present; to manage equipment, and ensure high-efficient materials and parts are being utilized. Parts availability can be easily recommended/obtained. Ray-pack ray-therm – easy to fix, 100-day open season for smaller pools.
Will the pool be open year-round? – 100-day season, determines equipment sizing; May-September, heaters (designed to run 6-8 hours)
Decide what does the operation look like?
How do we plan for an indoor pool in the future? Look at Kettle Falls. Works for covering if the community chooses. The span is the key for adding a roof.
Strong united group (3 individuals) guides the process. WMS connects with a single Board member to clarify design and build throughout construction process.
Chemistry is the most important item to stay up on top of. Heat and treat.
Give questions to Lyle. Examples; Silver Cloud hotel, Seattle. Several PDX sites under contract to WMS.
Fred Crowe: Friends of the Pool
Reconstruct pool history
Kettle Falls kfpool2024@gmail.com
On August 5 Terri and Dianne will meet with Columbia County Commissioners.
Terri and Dianne met with City of Dayton, July 9, 2024.
Need to prepare a levy flyer – Anna Berg, Chuck Belany “Who made the last pool flyer?” Lisa will check. The Dayton Chronicle printed the flyer. An anonymous donor funded the last pool flyer.
Prep a flyer.
Schedule a work session for statement of qualifications and prepare a plan of action for what we heard today from Lyle Smith
Work session on 8/15.
Several Board Members will visit Kettle Falls pool! Yea!
Ted moves to adjourn the meeting, everyone seconds, approved. Meeting adjourned at 7:16 pm
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