By Amanda Ensinger
Staff Writer
Prairie Township Community Center Director Michael Pollack said the township is taking steps to correct several issues with the pool.
“Over the past year, the pool floor at the community center has been eroding in all areas of the pool,” Pollack said at a recent township board meeting. “In two spots, bubbles in the plaster have occurred which required patches. The rest of the pool shows the etching of the plaster disappearing evenly across the pool with large amounts being found in our filters and vacuum.”
Pollack said algae has also become increasingly prominent in the deep end due to the porous nature of the plaster due to the erosion.
“The original product lifespan is around 8-12 years,” Pollack said. “We are approaching the eighth year since it was installed in 2015.”
Pollack asked the board to spend $145,585 with O’Brien Pools to complete the proposed work. The fund would come from the American Rescue Plan.
Residents asked why this is happening now when there are four years left before it should be deteriorating.
“This is happening due to a few things that we think we can do better,” Pollak said. “There also is not a lot of options out there to get a pool liner. We are up against time.”
Trustee Rod Pritchard asked Pollack to make sure the workmanship is guaranteed before entering into a contract.
In other news, Prairie Township Administrator James Jewell asked the board to approve a quote for renovations at the township hall building.
“These renovations include updating the current back office the sheriff uses, as well as converting the garage into a new space for the sheriff’s deputies,” Jewell said. “The HR director/fiscal coordinator will move to the back office.”
Jewell said the work will be completed by Hager Construction at a cost not to exceed $60,000. The board approved using the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
