PDF: East Ridge Resolution No. 2158
When will East Ridge residents get to swim in their own pool?
The question was partially answered Monday night when the East Ridge City Council resolved to purchase a 41-year-old community pool, but no one knows when the pool's "extremely poor condition" will be repaired.
City insurance documents obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press show that an independent pool contractor noticed "several conditions that might open its owners and/or managers to civil suit if there was ever an incident at the swimming pool."
Other building inspections revealed "showers (that) should not be used by the public," outdated drain covers and a roof that isn't currently leaking, but "should be completely replaced in the next year."
But after months of pressure to quickly furnish a summertime hangout for teenagers, three council members voted to buy the crumbling pool property -- and its debt -- from the East Ridge Youth Foundation for nearly $120,000, which does not include repairs.
Monday evening's vote was met with applause from at least 50 citizens, and the foundation's spokeswoman, a few days removed from saying she couldn't trust the city's politicians, walked to the microphone.
"It means a lot that our government would do this for us," Sonja Burns-Lewis said.
An opening date is still unknown. East Ridge Mayor Mike Steele said his best-case scenario is July.
"That's only with the assurance that everything's safe by then," he said.
Mr. Steele opened the meeting to "clarify some things," including the assumption that the city would buy the property for the purpose of selling it to private developers.
Looking foundation members in the eye, the mayor said, "We cannot do this without you, and you cannot do this without us."
"We want to make it clear that it is the city's intent to operate the pool," he said.
Reached after the vote, Mr. Steele said the resolution is binding only for these council members, three members of whom are up for re-election in November. He said he could only guarantee this council's willingness to keep the property swimming-related.
"We can't bind any future councils to anything," he said.
Councilman Denny Manning said he didn't want the foundation to have any hand in pool operations, but his motion did not receive a second. He later abstained from voting.
Mr. Manning frowned and shook his head when asked whether things would change after the city's decision to work with the foundation.
"I hope so," he said. "That foundation has run the pool into the ground."
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