Winfield wants the county to ?make it rain?

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Winfield Mayor Chris Finnell and the city council want to ?make it rain? in the community.

Finnell briefed the Henry County supervisors Tuesday on the new swimming pool project in Winfield during the supervisors? regular meeting and also asked for a county commitment of $25,000 to the project.

?I don?t need the money now but would like a commitment,? Finnell told the supervisors. He said the commitment could be over a five-year period.

Supervisors didn?t take any action on Finnell?s request.

Marc Lindeen, supervisor vice chairman, said if the county were to commit to the project, funding should come from the rural sector of the county. ?If we did spend money, it would come from local option sales tax, which would be sales tax money from the rural area.?

?We know the size of grant money sometimes is contingent upon the county?s commitment,? supervisor Chairman Gary See added.

There is a desperate need for a new pool in Winfield, Finnell said. The current pool was built in the 1960s and is owned by the Twin Lakes Recreation Center (a country club) although the golf course is deeding the pool and property to the city, which will own and operate the new pool.

?There have been a lot of repairs (done) to the pool,? Finnell said. ?We have so much sand going through it. They said if we have one more malfunction we?re done. It has been a great pool, it has just outlived its service.?

?Let?s Make It Rain? is the campaign moniker for the new pool. The pool has a tentative name of the Rick Rogers Community Pool, but Finnell said the name is not written in stone.

Finnell said he is seeking money from the county because it would be much easier to receive grants for the $1 million pool if the county were a contributor.

The new pool, Finnell said, would be built to the north and east of the current pool. The city is taking an aggressive approach to building the new pool as it is hoped that construction would begin this fall.

A tentative budget for the new pool lists grants at $220,000; a $100,000 contribution from the city; $25,000 from the county; $25,000 through fund-raising events; and donations of $630,000.

Finnell noted the new pool would be a zero entry facility with slides, a diving board, umbrellas, new bathhouse and concession stand and the ability to have a heated pool.

?I like our design a lot,? he said. ?I think the community will really enjoy it when it is built.?

Winfield is trying to raise money privately instead of bonding, Finnell remarked, ?because it is our (city) council?s resolve not to raise taxes with this project.?

The city is taking over ownership of the pool because revenue is tight at the golf course, Finnell explained. ?Golf (club) membership is going down, the young people just aren?t golfing. The country club doesn?t think it can afford the pool.?

Winfield?s City Council knows that it will have to subsidize pool expenses and maintenance once it is built, the mayor said. ?Everybody on the council and I agree that it will not be a revenue generator. If we break even, we will be fortunate.?

Henry County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss also gave his weekly report to supervisors. Hotchkiss said old Highway 34 near the Big Creek Bridge was to reopen Tuesday afternoon. He said there would be no pavement markings on the road until dry weather allows the painting crew to place the markings.

The deck will be poured on the Ash Avenue bridge replacement Tuesday, Sept. 6, dependent on weather.

He said a request for quotes on rock crushing at the Henry County Quarry are being sent with the quotes to be opened Tuesday, Sept. 20. ?Every three years we do a rock crushing at the quarry,? Hotchkiss said.

Work by the secondary roads crew last week was frequently hampered by weather, the engineer reported. ?We have been getting a lot done, but August has been stressful due to the rain.?

Last week secondary-roads workers completed road (shoulder pulling) on 200th Street, continued mowing operations, hauled resurfacing rock to Canaan Township and placed concrete patches on Oasis Avenue.

Supervisors meet again in regular session Thursday at 9 a.m., in the Henry County Courthouse.