Probably the best way to describe this past year for the pool at TPA Park would be nightmarish. The pool opened late due to a multitude of problems and some of those problems resurfaced once the year was over.
“We have cracks. We have a water slide that doesn’t work. There were just a lot of issues,” said Frankfort Parks Superintendent Travis Sheets. “We managed to get through the summer and we were so happy we made it through the summer because as of a couple of days ago we have lost water again. That crack is back.”
So, during the budget hearing meetings last week, the Frankfort City Council requested that something be done.
On Wednesday, the Board of Works approved a feasibility study on the pool to be done by HWC Engineering at a not-to-exceed bid of $19,600.
“We’ll devise a committee, we’ll have some public forums and we’ll see what’s in the future for Frankfort’s aquatics center,” said Sheets. “We’re losing citizens to other areas such as Lebanon and Lafayette. We should have a report to look at within 12 weeks.”
Sheets also said as of now, the pool would not be open next year at all.
Because of the problems with the pool, the Board of Works voted to terminate the pool management contract with Aquatic Management. City Attorney Les Bergum said the main reason for that is the contract would automatically roll over next year if it wasn’t terminated.
The Board of Works also approved a bid up to $20,000 for Clinton Taylor Construction to do work on the bird aviary. Sheets said the aviary would not be open until next year.
The Board of Works gave its approval to a bid of $25,440 to Rieth Riley Construction for road paving work in TPA Park.
It was also revealed that the Washington Avenue project that was scheduled to begin this year has been pushed back.
According to Street Superintendent Jason Forsythe, Atlas Excavating, who was the low bidder on the project, failed to meet certain state criteria which has caused a whole new bidding process to happen in October. Forsythe said the new bids will be opened in mid-October. He added the first phase of the project is expected to be done by the Fourth of July in 2019.
Frankfort Building Inspector Sam Payne updated the situation at R&A Plastics, which had its second fire in four years last week.
Payne said the business is back open and work is being done on the property. He said they gave a list of things to the owner which has to be completed by the end of this year, including remove all the trash in the back, secure the building, have fire extinguishers every 75 feet, segregate the material in the back and keep it in a contained area.
Payne said what burned in the fire was plastic and added the source of the ignition has not yet been found. He added melted plastic could have caused the fire.
The Board of Works also approved a parade sponsored by the Frankfort Unified Neighbors to be held on Saturday, October 27, at the Clinton County Fairgrounds beginning at 5:30 p.m.