05/23/05 Regular - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Regular meeting May 23, 2005 Elsie Glickert, 6712 Etzel Avenue, commented that the work done by Westport pools is not satisfactory and even though the second company is higher, it may be worth paying the additional cost for the equipment for a contractor that can do the job right. Ms. Brot commented that she understands that we are all trying to do everything we can to see that our pool is spectacular and run optimally. She noted that University City staff is now managing the pool once again. Since there had been many rumors and complaints surrounding the diving board, ladder and platform, she visited the City Manager to learn more about the procedure. She understood it that the diving board and ladder were engineered to meet industry standards. Evidently, some of the newer players in this process, such as the Director of Parks and other people who had not been involved in this before, did not know that what the engineers required would not meet our insurance liability. We want to have an excellent diving board and platform - it is not a ladder, it is a platform - and the one in Maplewood is the very same platform. She wasn't clear about the ethics of awarding a bid after the deadline, but she stated again that it was made clear that it was the same platform. She had questioned going with the non-Westport one, but it is the same and it will be safe. The Parks Director and engineers will oversee the installation of it. She truly thinks it has been the Council's role to set policy on how the pool should be run, which has been done. Since she has not been given any facts to support that the proposed platform will be inferior, she urged her colleagues to support this award as recommended by the City Manager. Ms. Brungardt respectfully disagreed with Ms. Brot. She said that she had personal experience with the platform that was installed incorrectly last year. She said that it was terrifying to watch youngsters ascend the ladder, which was visibly installed incorrectly. She said that her concern is with awarding the bid to the company who did the job incorrectly the first time and based on her first hand experience; she will not support this measure. She will allow her colleagues to make their own decisions, but she believes safety issues transcend expenditures in this account. Mr. Sharpe expressed concern about the ladder and said, based upon what he had heard before, but as the result of Ms. Brot's comments, he is willing to support the Issue. Ms. Colquitt said the proposal from Westport pools meets all of the specifications for the ladder and asked if it met all insurance requirements. Mr. Ollendorff responded that the platform itself will be supplied by Spectrum Aquatics, although it was bid and installed by Westport Pools. Ms. Colquitt asked if there would be a discount because they installed it incorrectly the first time, and was advised no, because in the professional opinion of the engineer, it was installed properly. They had differences with the way the diving board was installed and called for corrections to this installation, not to the installation of the ladder. The pool opened and then the insurance inspectors and advisors came and said the City had specified an unacceptable ladder. His stated view Page 4