Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Public hearing set for Feb. 25 at Hartley Community Center
A group of swimmers splash into the Hartley swimming pool in June of 2017. Voters will determine the fate of a bond issue March 2 that would finance construction of a new aquatic center.
Hartley residents wishing to learn more about the upcoming pool bond issue should circle Thursday, Feb. 25 on their calendars.
A public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Hartley Community Center to present information about the bond measure, which would help finance construction of a new pool in town. All Hartley residents are invited to attend and a Zoom link will also be provided for people wishing to watch online.
"Citizens can learn more in general about the pool, its features and the design," said City Administrator Erica Haack. "They can ask questions about the pool and the financing, or anything else they are wondering about."
The bond vote is scheduled for Tuesday, March 2. If the $1.7 million measure is approved by 60 percent of voters, it will pay for a portion of the estimated $3 million pool project. The remaining $1.3 million will come from donations and grants.
Representatives from Water's Edge, the design firm in charge of the project, will be present Feb. 25 to field questions and describe the plans. Hartley's new swimming pool will be built at or near its current location in Neebel Park. Other spots were discussed, but the park provided the least expensive option.
City officials have been discussing a new pool for more than five years. The current aquatic center was built in 1958 and the last major updates were completed in 1996. Several issues have worsened in recent years, and inspectors have determined the facility is nearing the end of its functioning life.
The square footage of the new pool will be comparable to the current one. If constructed, it will include zero-entry play area with a family slide, four swimming lanes, deep water diving and swim area, basketball hoops and a volleyball net, new bathhouse, and a large deck area with shaded zones. It is hoped to be constructed and operable by the summer of 2022.
According to Haack, the 15-year bond will cost property owners an estimated $3.25 per $1,000 of taxable valuation assuming a 2 percent rate. That amounts to approximately $15.28 per month for a home assessed at $100,000, or roughly $183.33 per year.
