Activity at Hartley pool turns heads

Passersby at Hartley's new pool on Tuesday saw a rare sight.

A small crew was on hand to install a temporary construction fence around the perimeter of the facility. According to City Administrator Roxann Swanson, any excitement about the activity should be met with caution. She said the temporary fence was being installed for potential removal of the permanent fence.

Swanson did not say whether work to repair issues at the never-opened new pool was forthcoming in the near future

"We're still working among the parties involved to get to an agreement for them to resolve the issue," she said. "We're still working on it every day...I don't have much to report other than that."

The pool failed a safety inspection last year prior to opening due to missteps made during the construction process. Certain electrical inspections could not be completed because all concrete work pertaining to its shell and most of the surrounding decking was finished prior to the required inspections being requested by the responsible contractor. Phillips Electric, Inc., of Spirit Lake, was subcontracted to perform electrical work on the project, including installation of all required equipotential bonding equipment.

General contractor Eriksen Construction appealed the failed inspection. After nearly a year of review, the Iowa Electrical Examining Board (IEEB) in June approved a proposal by Eriksen to address issues at the pool.

The ruling by the IEEB approved a remediation plan that would remove and replace the pool's perimeter decking and reconnect all conductive fixtures to a rebuilt bonding ring. According to the report, the plan would address concerns about potential equipotential bonding failures and alleviate risks to user safety.

Hartley has been without a pool since the swimming season closed in 2020.