Othello pool fix to be a multiyear project

OTHELLO — Reopening the Othello Municipal Pool likely will be a multiyear project, according to the chair of a city task force looking into alternatives for repair or replacement.

Chris Dorow, chair of the city’s Aquatic Task Force, told the Othello City Council on Aug. 26 that while the task force is still working, he wanted to give Othello residents a clear and realistic picture about what they can expect.

“Part of those real expectations are that the pool will most likely be closed for at least three years,” Dorow said. “There are things that could change that timeline, both decrease it and increase it, that are still in flux, that we are still determining. But we should know and plan that this is going to be a little bit of a long process to get something really good that we want.”

City officials discovered in April that the pool was damaged, what Othello Mayor Shawn Logan called “significant damage.” The pool was closed for summer 2024 as a result.

“Currently we are waiting on the final report of a full assessment of the pool,” Dorow said.

Since there’s no final analysis yet, there are still some unknowns, he added.

“We had been working under the idea that the pool was unsalvageable. Recently, however, reports have been inconclusive (about its condition). So we don’t know if it’s unsalvageable,” Dorow said.

If the existing pool can be fixed that could change the task force’s calculations, he said. But those decisions must await the final report.

“As of our last meeting that wasn’t resolved, and we don’t expect it to be resolved until well after the (Othello) Fair,” he said. “We’ve got a lot that’s still up in the air.”

The Othello Fair starts Sept. 11.

Even with the uncertainty the task force has reached some conclusions, Dorow said. If the pool can be repaired, the water pipes that feed it will have to be replaced. Those are covered by insurance, he said.

However, Dorow said, if the repairs would cost the city more than $2 million after the insurance payment, task force members think city officials would need significant guarantees that the repairs would last.

Even if the pool is salvageable, task force members are recommending a feasibility study of the options.

Dorow said task force members want the decision process around the pool, and the steps taken to keep it from happening again, to be transparent. To date they feel like it is; Dorow said they were “very satisfied” with the process so far.

“That’s been a major topic and one of the areas where I think everyone felt very satisfied that has been addressed so we don’t run into the same concerns that got us here in the first place,” Dorow said.

He complimented the work of the task force, made up of city officials and Othello residents.

“It’s a really good mix of folks. We do not completely agree on approach and where we should go. And that’s a good place to be,” he said.

Task force members want to reopen the pool as quickly as possible, he said, if repairs are feasible. If not, task force members want to build something the community can be proud of.