The Eureka County Swimming Pool staff announced on Feb. 9 that it would be closed to resurface the pool and make updates to the floors and deck. At the time the project was expected to take six weeks. Since that initial announcement, there have been no additional updates on their Facebook page, but the pool remains closed.
Eight months later, we are still wondering what is going on with the pool? In a conversation with Lester Porter, we gained a clearer understanding about the proposed scope of work and the issues that have delayed reopening.
Initially, the pool was scheduled to have a complete overhaul on all of its surfaces: new plaster inside the pool, new concrete surrounding the pool (coping), and new flooring (decking) throughout the building. Two separate contractors won the bid to do the work: Insteel from Elko, Nevada, was responsible for removing and replacing the old plaster and coping from around the pool. High Desert Surface Prep was responsible for removing and installing the new decking in the bathrooms, changing rooms, office area, and the exterior pool deck.
The demolition and initial installation were completed about eight weeks after work began. However, there was an issue with the coping installation. Upon closer inspection it became evident that the coping that had been installed was not the right fit for the shape of the pool. There were obvious flaws with the style or installation of the coping. When these issues were brought to Insteel’s management, they agreed that the quality was not acceptable.
While the Insteel management acknowledged the problem, the remedy has taken considerable time. The newly installed coping needed to be removed and new coping ordered. The brick surround requires at least eight weeks for manufacturing and shipping, adding significant delay to the project.
In the meantime, the pool staff has been busy working on different projects to get the pool ready for reopening. They have painted the entire inside of the pool building, giving it a fresh and bright new look. The newly installed plaster requires polishing and brushing, which has kept staff occupied. When they aren’t working on the pool maintenance, they have assisted in other areas of the county. Most weeks a crew could be seen in town working to clean the sidewalks and curbing, pulling weeds, and any other projects around town.
Although this project has taken far longer than originally expected, county officials have worked diligently to ensure the project was done properly. They are grateful for Insteel’s cooperation and professionalism in remediating the project at no additional cost to the county.
