Gilmer County recently received a generous donation of $70,000 from The Harrison Foundation to fund repairs needed to re-open the county pool. Original estimates of the repair were anticipated to fall within the $70,000 range and the donation would have completely covered the repair cost. So the bad news is the repair will cost more than originally thought. But the good news is The Harrison Foundation will cover almost 70% of the cost and the pool will be open this year! So since the final repair bill will amount to $102,000, additional funds are needed. After weighing the options the BOC opted to accept the donation on behalf of Gilmer County and move forward. The BOC seemed of the opinion that delaying repair of the pool would only increase costs and perhaps also risk the loss of the donation offer. So the County will be responsible for the remaining amount unless other funds can be raised.

Amy Woodring, co-owner of Ellijay Fitness Center, reported to the April 14th Gilmer County Board of Commissioners Workshop on community efforts to raise additional money needed for the project. As Mrs. Woodring explains in the following video, contact has been made with the Lowe’s Corporation regarding a $5,000-$25,000 local community improvement grant offered by the company. Potential grants from Ford, Pepsi, CVS, and other companies are being pursued as well.

Amy Woodring Adresses April 14th BOC Workshop from Fetch on Vimeo.

Jerry Crane of Sunbelt Pools, the company contracted for the project, explains the results of his company’s structural analysis of the pool. As he explains in the following video, no large underground cavities were found.

Jerry Crane of Sunbelt Pools Addresses the 4.14 BOC Workshop from Fetch on Vimeo.

Mr. Crane goes on to explain what needs to be repaired. The first issue on his estimate is the underground plumbing system, which does not hold pressure, and is apparently responsible for a great deal of the pool’s water loss. Second is an expansion joint on the pool surface that was improperly plastered over.

Once Mr. Crane gave his explanation of the project’s budget, FYN asked the Board to explain how the additional $32,000 will be paid if the community fails to raise the money.

FYN Asks About Pool Project Budget Shortfall from Fetch on Vimeo.

Pool repairs are already underway. FYN spoke with repair crews Monday morning and will be updating our readers on the project’s progress as it continues.