HOISINGTON -- When the Hoisington City Council meeting held Monday, Dec. 9, the council discussed what a pool advisory committee for the city might look like.
A five member committee is what the council feels would be ideal, small enough that they’ll be able to do a lot of work, and big enough and diverse enough to provide a fair representation of the community’s desires, City Manager Jonathan Mitchell told the Tribune Thursday morning following the meeting.
The resulting committee will likely include one youth representative from the Hoisington High School Student Council, one representative from USD 431, one from the Hoisington Rec Commission and two community members at large. The challenge for the council is going to be narrowing down the field, Mitchell said.
Once formed, the council and city manager will meet with them to define what their role is and then they will solicit proposals from various pool consultants.
The committee will be expected to recommend to the council of which company should be hired and explain why. The council, ultimately, will make the final decision on who they will hire.
“Once the consultant is hired, the committee would meet with the consultant and discuss amenities and what the community wants and what’s important to us,” Mitchell said.
Staff will also make recommendations to the consultants and give them parameters for a budget.
Funds for the pool will be generated beginning in 2021 from a 1 percent sales tax voters approved in November. Previously, the tax was approved for 20 years to be used only for street improvements. It now includes enhancements and specified renovating or replacing the city’s pool.
News of the successful ballot measure has resulted in several pool consultants contacting the city, but none have been engaged.
“We’re really early in the process, and we're not hiring anybody yet,” Mitchell said.
If a new pool is recommended, the council will expect an unbiased recommendation for the best location for the pool. If it is to remain where it is now, that could mean the pool could be closed for the season. If a new location is recommended, the existing pool could remain open while a new pool is built.
