Photo Credit: Courtesy of Aquatic Design Consultants, Inc.
As in many communities throughout the U.S., city officials in Salina, Kan., faced a dilemma in 2008 over what to do with the aging outdoor swimming pool.
Each year, the pool required more time and resources to open for crowds of fewer and fewer people. The pool also required a larger subsidy from the general fund just to cover operations and maintenance expenses. The swimming pool was described by most residents as old, outdated and just plain boring.
Although the pool had become a real problem over the years, there appeared to be little public interest in funding a solution. Two sales-tax measures to replace the pool had failed in recent years, so city officials knew that a more appealing planning and funding effort would have to be developed before the public would buy into the project.
