North Putnam now accepting bids for upcoming pool revamp

Monday, August 21, 2017

BAINBRIDGE -- Though the natatorium at North Putnam High School will be seeing a renovation, of sorts, in the near future, it will be declared open this Monday, Aug. 21 and is set to be utilized at long last by both middle and high school students after a scheduled audit saw the pool drained for some time.

Now that the pool is up and running and the school year is in full swing, school officials are in talks to have the 200,000-gallon pool fitted with new chlorine-creating and distributing devices through collaboration with a well-known local business.

Approving a motion to partner with the Spear Corp. of Bainbridge in order to receive (free of charge) and “showcase” its equipment, the North Putnam School Board added to the motion to begin advertising bids for the electrical work and installation necessary for two devices recommended by the Spear Corp.

“The pool is full and chemically within set-points, but there’s a green tint to it,” Director of Operations Terry Tippin said. ”However, the water tested fine and Brian Spear worked with us all the way through. We could have put kids in it today (Aug. 17) but I think, with the green tint, I felt better about making sure that we let the water pump work and circulate over the weekend.

“The new pump is pumping -- last year we were pumping 310 gallons per minute and now we’re pumping 530 -- so the new pump we spent money on is going to make a huge difference,” he added. “The total pool is 200,000 gallons and it will circulate every four hours, which is what the (state) recommendation is.”

Tippin went on to explain that the green tint is due to plunging availability of the chlorine required to give the pool its clear appearance, though the water has been tested as safe for use. The chlorine, he said, has reached nearly $40 per gallon of late, up exponentially from the customary $5 per gallon in recent years.

“We have to come up with some kind of solution,” he said.

These new developments are, in part, what has prompted school officials to seek out an alternative to buying chlorine in bulk.

“We’ve worked with the Spear Corporation and they’re willing to be a sponsor with us -- they’re part of our county and our school corporation -- and what they’re recommending is to use a ‘chlorinator’ which works a lot like a water-softener,” Superintendent Dan Noel said. “It’s not chlorine (that you add to the device) but that’s how you have the water treated.”

Tippin expounded on Noel’s comments, saying the salt added to the so-called chlorinator combines with other chemicals housed in the device to create the chlorine.

However, another device is needed in order to distribute the chlorine, which would also be provided to the school by the Spear Corp. as part of the partnership.

“I don’t know exactly what the item is, but it’s new and it’s supposed to help with the pool,” Noel said. “We would kind of be the guinea pig, there’s no better term, but I think it would be a great partnership to establish ... so we can have our pool safe for our kids.”

“Basically, one of the devices makes the chlorine and the other puts it in the pool,” Tippin added. “You can’t have one without the other.”

Though the equipment would be provided as part of the North Putnam-Spear Corp. partnership, of which the latter said could be kept by the school once the showcasing was complete, installation fees and electrical work will still be necessary.

With this in mind (and more than 30 minutes of discussion), board member Ron Spencer motioned to accept the partnership with the Spear Corp. and begin advertising for bids concerning installation and electrical work. The motion passed unanimously despite one board member openly contemplating the benefits of no pool, at all, saying “we don’t even have to have a pool.”

However, those comments were disputed by board member Darrell Wiatt, saying “but we need to think of the kids.”

“We’re going to be paying these teachers whether they’re teaching a swimming class or not,” he said. “So if you’re worried about money, I would hate to be paying someone for not doing anything, and that’s exactly what we’re going to be doing (if we don’t have a pool).”

“Not just the teacher, but two full-time lifeguards, as well,” North Putnam Middle School Principal Scott Miller added. “I’ve listened to everyone’s arguments here -- for the first two weeks of school we’ve been operating without a pool and we’ve been scrambling to place kids in double P.E. classes and the elementaries have been backed up on when they’re supposed to start their pool time, and we have high school kids who are supposed to be taking credit courses right now in lifeguarding -- and that’s all been pushed back because what we have set for the future is not yet in place.”

The board estimated installation costs to be in the tune of $59,000.

More information and updates are expected during September’s regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Sept. 16 as North Putnam and the Spear Corp. move forward with their partnership.

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  • I think school board members should have to take an IQ test before getting on the ballot. Those are some of the most asinine comments I've ever heard. It's no wonder the other schools in the county and surrounding areas think the school board is a laughing stock because they try to micromanage every little thing.

    -- Posted by Javabeans on Tue, Aug 22, 2017, at 6:59 AM
  • I totally agree with honeyroastedpeanuts!

    -- Posted by interested party on Tue, Aug 22, 2017, at 8:27 AM
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