Charles City Taking the Plunge to Repair Lions Field Pool

Looking to keep the Lions Field municipal swimming pool in Charles City “afloat” another couple of decades, the City Council has approved spending around $800,000 to fix up the facility.

Before approving a contract with JEO Consulting to move forward with plans for repairs to the almost-30-years-old pool, citizen Ryan Boehmer questioned the justification for the expense at the February 5th Council meeting.

Mayor Dean Andrews said the Charles City Park-Rec Board has asked that themselves for months.

Councilwoman Phoebe Pittman noted that many cities are in the same boat when it comes to keeping their pools open.

In January, the Council authorized City Administrator Steve Diers to pursue borrowing up to $910,000 to finance the repairs, which now has a budget of up to $808,000.

The City plans to shut down the pool for the needed repairs in late July, with the hope the project will be completed before the 2025 pool season begins.