The Lee Beran Recreation Center is one vote away from getting a new heating and cooling system for the swimming pool.
The Emporia Recreation Commission recommended on Monday that the city accept a $212,405 bid from McElroy’s, a Topeka firm. The bid must also be approved by the Emporia City Commission before work can begin.
Work on the system has been a long time in coming. Pool temperatures have typically been around 88 degrees, which has been a delight for older swimmers, but a burden on the heating system.
A study in late 2004 recommended replacing the system, but it was early 2006 before the Emporia City Commission agreed. Further delays by the city, which was also trying to hire a new city manager late in the year, meant that bids were not finally opened until last week.
Recreation chair Roger Hartsook said at Monday’s meeting that he was pleased to finally see the project nearly under way.
“It’s wonderful,” he said. “A lot of people have been waiting for this to happen. A lot of years have gone by. And hopefully, we’ll be able to see construction start in the next 30 or 40 days.”
The city commission meets Wednesday and the bid is on its agenda. The recreation commission recommended the bid by a 5-0 vote, with commissioner Jim Markowitz voting by cell phone because of an illness.
The original 2004 estimate for the work had been about $220,000 but engineer Fred Hasler raised that to $290,000 to reflect the amount of time that had passed. Hasler works for Latimer Sommers & Associates, a Topeka engineering firm.
As it happened, the final bid beat both estimates. And Hasler had no trouble with that.
“We never want to be the low bidder,” he joked.
McEvoy recovering
Recreation Director Tom McEvoy remains in the hospital, recovering from a bacterial infection that upset his diabetes. McEvoy was admitted Wednesday.
“The only thing that’s kept him sane has been the use of his laptop,” Hartsook said. “He’s been able to communicate with his staff from the hospital and I’m sure he’s driving them nuts.”
Hartsook said he understood that McEvoy would be released once his blood sugar stabilized.
Cash up front
The recreation commission agreed to let the Mid America Youth Basketball tournament use the gymnasium at the Lee Beran Recreation Center — if it pays its bill from last year.
According to information sent by McEvoy, the MAYB tournament never paid its fee. At $25 an hour, its 26 hours of use of the gym in 2006 comes to $650.
Commissioners also voted to have the MAYB tournament pay an estimated fee — in advance — to cover its use of the building this year.
Budget hearing
The recreation commission will hold a public hearing on its 2007-2008 budget at its 4:30 p.m. July 16 at the recreation center, 313 W. Fourth Ave. Its proposed general fund budget comes to $1,943,767, although it typically spends far less than it budgets. In this year’s budget, for example, the commission had $1,880,823 available, but is projected to spend $1,376,953.