City approves pool contract

MARENGO — The pool committee broke into applause Wednesday after the Marengo City Council approved a bid for pool construction.

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The city took bids earlier this year but received only one — which was too high — and rejected it. The city let the project again last month and received six bids.

The city and the pool committee recommended that the city contract with Portzen Construction of Dubuque for $4.335 million with alternate #1, a bathhouse pergola, for $33,000 and alternate #3, a zip line and rope swing, for $22,000 — a total of $4.39 million.

The city council accepted the contract as recommended.

The council rejected an optional mechanical building pergola at $16,500 and the climbing wall option, bid at $36,000.

The climbing wall could be added later, said City Administrator Karla Marck.

The city will purchase a 153-foot-long, 20-foot-tall slide and a shallow pool play structure separately.

Other bids came from Tricon General Construction in Dubuque, Larson Construction in Independence, McComas-Lacina Construction in Iowa City, Garling Construction in Independence and Sande Construction in Humboldt.

The pool is expected to open in 2025.

Now that the city has a contract to build a new pool, it can dispose of the old one.

The council approved an agreement Wednesday with Compass Memorial Healthcare to allow Compass to use the pool property — at 1277 Franklyn Ave. — as a staging area during its expansion construction through 2026 or completion of the project, whichever comes first.

The hospital will cover all costs associated with removing the current pool facility and returning the property to a grass lot once the agreement terminates so it can be used as an outdoor recreational park until the conversion of use takes place.

The city must retain ownership of the Property of the Interior grant it received for the park at the property and must complete a conversion of use with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Department of the Interior. It must replace the park located at the pool property with another park of equal or greater value.

The city plans to apply for a conversion of use to transfer the grant restrictions to the new pool facility once that project is complete.

After the conversion of use is approved, the city will transfer ownership to the hospital.

Because the hospital is organized as a municipal hospital, it qualifies as a governmental body for the public purpose. That makes the transfer of property legal under Iowa law.

If the conversion is not approved, the city will retain ownership and will enter into an agreement with the hospital for use of the property.

If the hospital doesn’t take ownership within a year after the conversion of use is approved, the city will reimburse the hospital for 50% of the cost for the removal of the pool and the cost of returning the property to a grass lot to be used as an outdoor city recreational park.

Councilman Travis Schlabach moved that the agreement with the hospital be tabled until the hospital could provide a cost estimate of the removal of the pool because the city will be responsible for half the cost if the conversion of use is not approved.

“If we follow through with this, we’re writing a blank check,” Schlabach said.

The hospital has a vested interest in keeping the cost down, said City Attorney Gabe Kensler. “I would leave it in the hospital’s hands.”

Without an agreement with the hospital, the city would be on the hook for 100% of the cleanup cost for the pool property, said Mayor Adam Rabe.

Schlabach said he’d still like to know how much the city would have to pay before the council enters into an agreement with the hospital.

Compass CEO Barry Goettsch said he could try to get an estimate for the council before its next meeting, and Kensler said the agreement could be amended to include the amount of property cleanup.

Schlabach’s motion died for lack of a second.

Councilmembers Bill Kreis, Sue Peterson and John Hinshaw voted to accept the agreement with the hospital. Schlabach voted no.