Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
3-month window set for repairs to address failed inspection
A large piece of concrete is lifted and removed Wednesday morning at Hartley's pool.
A demolition crew began breaking up the pool's concrete deck on Monday.
Hopes for a usable new pool in Hartley are riding high.
Work began this week to address issues that led to a failed inspection prior its planned opening last year. Crews from Eriksen Construction, of Blair, Neb., and Midwest Concrete Cutting, of Algona, were on site Monday to begin demolition of the pool deck. Work had progressed steadily as of press deadline, with several mounds of broken concrete and piles of rebar visible around the facility's perimeter. Side dumps had arrived Wednesday morning to remove debris from the area.
Mayor Rodney Ahrenstorff said after Monday's council meeting that a three-month window has been set for repairs to be completed. Eriksen Construction project manager Casey Ackermann, who was at the meeting, said the goal is to have an open pool in Hartley next summer.
"Right now we just want to get it done," said Ahrenstorff.
The city council went into closed session for more than an hour on Monday. Once it returned to open session, members approved a change order from Eriksen Construction regarding the project.
The pool failed a safety inspection last year 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 necessary 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.
