Chair lift needed to open city pool

— It will cost a minimum of $5,000 to $7,000 to make the Decatur city swimming pool handicapped accessible so it can be opened next summer, Mayor Charles Linam told the city council on Jan. 9.

A new law, which goes into effect on March 12, will require all swimming pools to be fully handicapped accessible, including the installation of a wheel chair lift, Linam reported.

Linam asked the council to carefully consider the expense before making the decision to keep the pool open next summer.

A representative from Burton Pools and Spas came to Decatur to show city officials a portable lift which costs $6,750. Linam said there may be some room for negotiation on the price and there is a possibility that the city could buy the demonstration model at a reduced price.

But there will be a number of other investments required in addition to the wheelchair lift. The city will have to build a shed to house the lift, as well as make a handicapped parking space and improve thesidewalk and pool entrance gate to make them wheelchair accessible.

The health department is not responsible for enforcing the law and will give the city a permit to open the pool without the improvements. The Justice Department will be enforcing the law and, while Decatur could possibly slide by until a complaint was filed, the city could get in big trouble for not complying, Linam explained.

“I think it would be a shame to do 250 kids out of a pool over a one-time expense,” Linam said, pointing out the city spends equal or greater amounts on a number of other things.

The pool has always operated at a loss and it lost $7,000 again last year. Linam said he felt the loss could be reduced by a couple thousand dollars with some management changes.

The pool was closed during the summer of 2010, due to financial losses and lack of attendance. It was reopened last summer with renewed interest from the public.

The city council will revisit the issue at next month’s meeting.

Opinion, Pages 7 on 01/18/2012