While the ballot for the upcoming consolidated election has little room for choice among its races, Waterloo voters have a big decision to make regarding the possibility of a new community pool.

As decided by the Waterloo Park Board in December, a referendum item will be on the ballot asking voters whether they wish to allow the park district to borrow $6 million in bonds to be put toward the design and construction of a new pool facility.

A key point that was emphasized amid the discussion of the referendum item at the December board meeting was that this decision – which requires a simple majority of voters – is not binding. It would allow the park district to borrow the funds, but the district would not be required to follow through with a pool if it were ultimately deemed not feasible.

As previously reported, the current designs for a new pool – provided by Waterloo Citizens for a Pool – could consist of an 8,574 square foot pool with zero entry beach, lazy river, six 25-yard lap lanes, shade structures, underwater benches, concession area, tanning platform, bath house and other water play features.

Such a facility is estimated by WCP to cost $5,389,000, with excavation and landscaping costs as well as a contingency fund bringing the total up to $5,994,000.

Along with putting together these designs and conducting research on the operations and funding of a potential pool, WCP has broadly led the push for a new facility over the past few years.

WCP President Amy Grandcolas spoke about the referendum and the current plans to manage the payment of a pool should the referendum pass.

She first spoke to how the referendum itself serves as a major step given how much effort she and WCP –  past and current members – have put toward giving the community a chance at a new pool.

Grandcolas further noted how this referendum will be the first time in a long time that Waterloo residents are able to decide whether or not they want to pursue such a facility.

“It is so exciting that residents are gonna get an opportunity to vote on this again when, from what I can see, the last chance residents in Waterloo were able to vote on anything pertaining to the pool was 15 years ago,” Grandcolas said.

She also spoke to her hopes that folks feel educated and confident about the decision they make on the referendum item.

To that point, Grandcolas addressed one of the larger questions voters are likely to have as they mark their ballot – namely how the $6 million in bonds will affect their taxes.

She pointed to Thomas Crabtree with investment firm STIFEL’s St. Louis office whom WCP has worked with to determine the bonds’ estimated impact to Waterloo residents’ property taxes.

Per Crabtree’s calculations, a home with a market property value of $250,000 would have an annual cost of $137.65 with a 15-year bond option and $116.02 with a 20-year bond option.

At the low extreme of estimates provided by Crabtree, a $100,000 property would be estimated to face a cost of $48.65 or $41.01 depending on the length of the bond. For a $500,000 property, the cost is estimated at either $285.98 or $241.04.

Grandcolas said that, as she has presented such figures to folks in the community, she has gotten largely positive feedback.

As she said, most seem to be pleasantly surprised at how low the increase to tax payments is estimated to be given how imposing the $6 million bond sounds.

“I suspect that a large percentage of the Waterloo population will see these numbers and be surprised at how low they are,” Grandcolas said. “The majority of the people I have shown these to over the last year are always surprised how low they are. And I think so many people hear $6 million and get sticker shock, but when it is spread across all of the properties in the Waterloo city limits, that burden is so much lower than anticipated.”

Grandcolas also touched on another likely concern for voters, that being how a new pool would be able to stay open given how the previous pool was shut down as a substantial amount of repairs and maintenance couldn’t be paid for.

She noted the maintenance situation for pools built today is significantly improved to what it was for pools built decades ago.

“Pools built in this modern era are vastly, vastly different to aquatic facilities built in the 1960s,” Grandcolas said. “You have much better technology, much better maintenance programs and much better automated maintenance and care that they go through on a structured plan, now.”

Along with modern facilities generally allowing for greater ease of care, Grandcolas also said WCP’s proposed pool plan includes a capital campaign – a much discussed topic back in December – which would be put toward an endowment fund to be used both to make up for any annual operating deficit and for regular long-term maintenance such as replacement or repair of pumps and paint every few years.

She noted – as it was emphasized at the December park board meeting – that efforts toward the capital campaign have been positive, with donations from a number of sources in the community.

Grandcolas also addressed the need she sees for a pool in the community. 

She discussed the use such a facility would see as a place for kids to receive important swimming lessons, for the Waterloo Piranhas swim team to host their summer matches and for the community to enjoy as another recreational space in town.

She spoke about the tourism possibilities of the pool as it could attract folks from neighboring communities who might then patronize Waterloo businesses. Grandcolas further noted how big Piranhas swim events can get at the YMCA, with most folks from out of town visiting businesses in Columbia during or after the meet rather than coming down to Waterloo.

Grandcolas placed the most emphasis on the pool as a major outdoor space for the community, however.

She spoke to Waterloo’s growing population, particularly the increasing number of families with young children in the city and how they don’t seem to have a place quite like adults in the community do.

“You see a strong sense of plenty of things to do for adults, not as many things to do for families and for the kids in our community,” Grandcolas said. “I think we’ve really hit the time where our community demographics and desires match up with wanting this outdoor recreation option that gives families something to do together.”

While early voting for the April election begins Thursday, WCP is currently planning several town hall events to further inform voters and address questions on the referendum item.

One town hall is planned for 2 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at Morrison-Talbott Library with two other evening events still pending.