Is city’s pool worthy of renewal?

In July 2015, Lake Worth posted an eight-question survey on its website about the city’s municipal pool, asking residents their thoughts on the aging facility and how it’s operated.

The survey was on the site for more than two months, with 118 people responding.

The bottom line: Residents loved having a pool, but wanted a better one.

For years, the city has grappled with what to do with the facility, built in 1971, which some officials have called a money pit.

Now it appears a decision on the pool’s fate is finally on the horizon.

This past week City Manager Michael Bornstein closed the pool, calling it unsafe due to falling concrete and bursting water pipes that could have led to a serious injury.

“I’m not putting employees back in there,” Bornstein told The Palm Beach Post.

Then the city released a report from Brian McCallister, an aquatics consultant, Kevin D. Thompson who said it would cost close to $4.6 million to repair and upgrade the pool, a staggering figure many find difficult to digest.

Basic repairs to the structure and filter system alone would cost $2.8 million, the report said.

The city has reportedly spent about $500,000 trying to fix the pool already.

McCallister recommended the city demolish the facility and spend the $6 million to $7.3 million it would cost to build a new water park and “lazy river.”

There have been whispers among some residents that McCallister’s recommendation wasn’t surprising since, after all, he has built, operated and maintained water parks for more than 30 years.

The thinking goes, if the city decides to build a family friendly water park, who do you think would get first dibs on building and running it?

City Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting are scheduled to get a formal presentation on the report. Commissioners could decide to sink more money into repairs. It could agree to build a water park. Or, it could go in an entirely different direction. Who knows? The point is, some type of action needs to be taken.

It’s no secret Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell is no fan of putting more money into the pool and has asked for city officials to stop the bleeding.

Lake Worth Beach is arguably the city’s MVA — Most Valuable Amenity. Having a crumbling pool facility right beside the sparkling Atlantic Ocean, does that title a disservice.

Juan Ruiz, the city’s new assistant manager, made that point to me two years ago.

“When you look at our pool and compare it to others in the county, they have more modern amenities,” Ruiz said. “They have more shade, more water slides, and things that attract families. Even though we have the best location, we don’t necessarily have the best pool.”

And the city has been drowning in it far too long.