Marengo pool project in the running for Enhance Iowa grant

Members of the Marengo swimming pool committee, along with Mayor Adam Rabe, City Administrator Karla Marck, and Councilman John Hinshaw, will travel to Des Moines March 2 to make a presentation to the Enhance Iowa Board for grant funding.

Enhance Iowa is a financial-assistance program established to help fund projects related to recreation, entertainment, cultural and educational activities. The pool committee made an application to the Enhance Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) Program in January and the Marengo pool project has been selected as one of 33 applications for funding statewide to be reviewed.

To be eligible, an applicant must have raised at least 65 percent of the funds for the project prior to making the application. The Marengo pool project has met all of the requirements to be eligible to receive the grant, thanks to the $3.8 million bond that was passed in September 2022 and generous contributions and pledges received to date as well as city and county pledges.

Competing for a portion of the $10,000,000 funded for FY 2023 requires the applicant to have first, submitted the application; second, passed the staff review for eligibility; third, passed the CAT Committee review; and fourth, to make a presentation to the board for review and consideration.

The fourth step is where the committee finds itself on March 2 and the presentation will be critical to determining the amount of grant funds to be awarded. Announcement of the grant awards will be made the first week in April. Bids for construction of the new pool are expected to take place in late April of this year with construction to commence following the awarding of the contract. Completion of the pool is projected for June 2024.