NATCHEZ, Miss. – County supervisors voted 3-2 Monday to hire contractors to build and install improvements for the Natchez-Adams County swimming pool.
The long-stalled upgrades can move forward now that both the county and city boards have agreed to award the contracts for heating the pool and building shower-and-locker facilities, poolside decking and bleachers. Total cost: about $363,000.
The Natchez Board of Aldermen approved the construction and installation bids last month. The city and county boards are providing equal amounts — almost $96,600 each – to add to the federal recreational park funds allocated by the state for the pool project.
The Natchez Aquatic Center at Liberty Park opened in June 2018, giving Natchez-Adams County its first public swimming pool since the one at Duncan Park closed in 2001. The city and county jointly funded the new pool’s construction and share the costs of operating it.
The city and county boards have been planning the past couple of years to enhance the new aquatic center – which costs about $1.3 million to build – but put it off last year because of the COVID pandemic.
Upgrading the pool will make it usable during cool-weather months and more accommodating for swimmers and swimming events.
Adams County supervisors voting Monday for the pool improvements: Angela Hutchins, Ricky Gray and Warren Gaines. Voting against: Wes Middleton and Kevin Wilson.
Wilson expressed concerns about the increased costs of the pool enhancements. “This thing is getting out of hand,” he said.
However, Gray said the extra costs are justified “to get the swimming pool to where it should be.”
Two local companies — Thorpe Sheet Metal and Wilmar — will install the pool-heating system (Thorpe) and construct the new concrete decking and shower-locker addition (Wilmar). An out-of-state business – The Lifeguard Store – will provide the thermal-insulation pool cover.
Once the swimming pool heater and insulation cover are installed, the energy costs have been estimated to be about $8,000 a month if the pool opened in April and closed in October. The current season is late May till early September.
Comments