LAKEPORT – The city of Lakeport has taken a step forward in its goal of renovating Westshore Pool. 

At its meeting last week, the Lakeport City Council voted to award a bid to Pool Time USA of Pleasanton to begin work on the pool this spring.

Pool Time USA submitted the only bid, for $313,370. The city will pay the company from Measure I proceeds and a $168,000 state grant.

“There is large public support for this project,” City Engineer Scott Harter told the council Feb. 6.

Councilmen Buzz Bruns and Bob Rumfelt voiced their support for awarding the bid and seeing work get started. Both men noted the pool had been in disrepair for several years.

“We've got so much into it we can't let go of it,” said Bruns.

Harter said construction needed to be completed by April 13, in order to allow Lakeport schools and the local swim teams to start training in May.

Councilman Jim Irwin had concerns about the costs for repairs, and made a motion to readvertise for bids in an attempt to change the project scope and bring down costs.

Irwin's motion died for lack of a second, as the rest of the council wanted to move forward.

City Attorney Steve Brookes said getting to this stage in the process was a long time in coming, and he urged the council to award the bid.

The repairs will include making the pool wheelchair accessible and replastering the pool's surface.

Rumfelt said he thought the costs to repair the pool were reasonable when considering that the repairs would, in essence, give the city a new pool. He said other cities building pools are spending in excess of $1 million.

“There's been an awful lot of work to get it to this point,” Rumfelt said.

Bruns made the motion to award the bid. The council voted 4-1 to approve awarding the bid, with Irwin voting no.

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