Othello pool at low-water mark
Committee seeks chairperson, will receive advice from Seattle firm
OTHELLO — After two years and two failed attempts, the dream of a new pool for the city is back at square one.
The $2.85-million levy meant to bring the funding for the new pool has failed twice, the last time by 36 votes. Now, members of the committee in charge of the levy hope that outside advice may help them succeed.
Representatives from the Seattle engineering firm TSE will attend this Tuesday's committee meeting and will help the committee put together a laundry list of pool features that can be purchased with the levy's monies.
The committee will then be able to pick and choose the features wanted for the new pool. Those that are not wanted will be eliminated, therefore lowering the levy's amount and making it more likely to pass.
At the meeting, the committee will likely discuss choosing a new leader, given that its last chairperson, Chuck Allen, moved to Quincy.
"They (committee members) are looking for a non-city elected person to be the leader," said Ehman Sheldon, the city administrator.
The presence of TSE at a meeting is a first for this group, which has wanted to bring a new pool to Othello since much before the old pool at Lions Park was condemned and closed last year.
The city expects TSE to shed some light on the real amount of money it would cost to build a pool, and finally get the project across the finish line. This is the first summer in at least five years that Othello will not have a pool available.
"We are starting over," said Mayor Jeannie Sanders, herself one of the main proponents of the new pool. "This is the first time we have courted this company (TSE) to give us some facts, figures, numbers and pictures so we can begin our way down the third trail," she added, referring to the fact that if the levy makes it to the ballot, it would be the third consecutive year.
"Hopefully there's a pool at the end of it," she concluded.
The meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall.