Swimming pool
July 28th, 2010 by 
Alica
A fancy Brandon swimming pool would cost $9.5 million. Do you think it’s worth it?
Paul Boerboom of TSP, Inc. presented a proposal to the city council recently. City Administrator Bryan Read said the plan could be built in phases. The people would have to vote on a bond issue to pay for the project, though. Right now, the city budgets money for pool maintenance and upkeep, but that isn’t nearly enough to upgrade the facility.
If the city council decides to pursue the plan, there will be public input meetings. But you can voice your opinions here on the blog. What do you think about making the pool bigger and fancier with more slides, a lazy river and other amenities?
Posted in Uncategorized, City business | 
July 28th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
I would favor an indoor aquatic center instead. Keep the outdoor pool as is and provide something for year round use.
July 28th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
An indoor pool almost certainly would cost more than an outdoor one. Would you vote for something that cost more than $9.5 million?
July 28th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
I think this is a thoroughly ridiculous idea.
Then to have the audacity to tout saving a whopping $1000 switching animal control providers.
This city wastes more money.
July 28th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I think we need more info. How much more would an indoor pool cost to build and operate? It would be open year round versus 3 months and might be used more by the older adults when the kids are in school. How many people in Brandon accually use the pool now - 10%, 20%, 80%? What does the 9.5 million break down in cost per Brandon resident?
July 29th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Has the results of the city survey been published yet? I know there were several questions about pools.
My kids & I use the pool regularly. I know that something needs to be done to update the existing facilities. This might seem petty, but the hand soap dispensers don’t even work - YUK!
July 29th, 2010 at 11:36 am
The results of the community survey aren’t in yet. It will be interesting to see what they say.
July 29th, 2010 at 11:41 am
i think it is crazy to spend that kind of money on something that will be used 90 days a year! i dont think drake springs was that much does anyone know what the price tag on that was??
July 29th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
This is from a Nov. 14, 2007, Argus Leader story about the Drake Springs costs:
“Sioux Falls voters last spring rejected a city proposal to build a $12 million indoor pool at the site. The vote required the city to build an outdoor pool and spend no more than $4.7 million.”
July 29th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Our family spends a lot of time at the pool. We have been to several public pools this summer and also have season passes to Wild Water West. To spend that much money on an indoor pool in South Dakota is ridiculous. My husband and I would vote yes for an indoor pool even if there was a significant cost increase but will vote no on the outdoor pool. Maybe the city could team up with one of the hospitals and get a community wellness center. If Luverne, Minnesota can do it, Brandon should be able to sustain a community wellness center with an aquatic center. We go to Sioux Falls several times each week to use the Sanford Wellness Aquatic pool. People on the east side of SF would probably come this way if it was located on the west side of Brandon. The closest indoor public pool during winter is Luverne. If people come to swim they will most likely spend money on eating out too.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
IF Drake springs cost $4.7 million this proposal had better be one whale a nice facility. Maybe we should look at how much Brookings spent on their new outdoor aquatic center. As for an indoor pool they do not last and the kids/people that use the pool should be outside during the summer. I see a pool as something for the kids to use during the summer when they are not in school. If you want to do aerobics join a gym or the Y.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
so let me get this straight we are going to spend 4.8 million more than sioux falls?? Now dont get me wrong I would Love a Nice new pool for the kids of brandon to enjoy however if Sioux falls can build a very nice water park for that amount of money brandon should be able to do the same or am i missing something?? if i am great let me know so i can understand this better. I did not plant any money trees this year and the ones i had did not make it thru the winter!
July 29th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
This is from an Aug. 4, 2007, Argus Leader story about the Brookings aquatic center:
“Hillcrest Aquatic Center, a $4.3 million dollar facility located at 1505 5th St., opened last year. The center, built with donations from the Dale Larson family and the Don Endres family, took 11 months to build.”
July 29th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Whose idea was this? We must have paid an architect to come up with a plan and projected budget. Where did this money come from? Was this a council idea, or the idea of an individual? I would hate to think what would happen if someone decided we needed our own airport.
July 29th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Would make more sense to have an indoor facility and one that is not just a water playground. An actual pool for swimming and lessons, etc. I’m sure the school(s) would put an indoor pool to use.
July 29th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
I’m a little old to be going to the pool nowadays, but when I was younger, I know I would have gone to the Brandon Pool a lot more if they had had the things they’re proposing. I think it would be worth it. This city needs more community investment. Yes, we need to make sure our roads, sewer, police etc. are maintained, but I personally think the city doesn’t spend enough. I think it would be wonderful to have something like this that we can all be proud to show off to our friends who come visit. And with the rise in childhood obesity, we need to give kids all the opportunities for physical activity.
Lali, what do you think the city is wasting money on? Do you have any numbers to back up that tired old phrase about government waste?
July 29th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
an indoor pool would be a cool idea for brandon but it is so expensive to maintain and keep up. it would really get used only 9 months a year because summer time people want to be out doors and no at an indoor pool. With it being used only 9 months a year and during the school year how many kids would be at the pool on a regular basis? with a lot of kids in school activities i don’t think a lot of people would then take advantage of an indoor pool.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:10 am
I believe the city monopilizes enough with the outragious taxes people have to pay that live within the city limits here…show the people that are here thier money is going to something we can actually use…the amount of money to spend on this is nothing compared to what it brings to the residents here…”Buy Brandon” remember?
July 30th, 2010 at 6:25 am
OK…$9.5 million for 90 days..sorry..it doesn’t make sense to me..factor in rain/storm days and it is even less..with an indoor pool..I could use it for excercising my lower back…have lots of pain and water aerobics has been suggested to me by my doctor..I don’t always want to run into Sioux Falls to do it so having something local would be great and I think used by more adults year around…as far as being outside…large patio type doors could be utilized and opened to let fresh air in and there could be an outdoor patio available for just resting or gettin’ that tan!!!..Please city officials use your heads..it may cost a little more but in the long run an indoor pool would be more serviceable..I hope there is a citizens group watching out what the city council is doing with the money???
July 30th, 2010 at 7:37 am
A nicer outdoor pool would be great. But, this is way too much.
Is this on the wish list or on the list of things we NEED to do in Brandon? I would think the “needs” list should be the priority.
July 30th, 2010 at 10:23 am
#17 You might want to look at the breakdown of your taxes, it isn’t the city who gets most of the outragious taxes!!!
As for the pool, i believe that 9.5 million is too much for an outdoor pool maybe size it down alot! There are pros and cons to an indoor pool and would have to see where that number comes in at to decide on that.
July 30th, 2010 at 11:02 am
I once stayed at a place (sorry, can’t remember where) that had an indoor-outdoor pool. As I recall, the pool was half inside and half outside of a big building, with a garage door-type opening. The big door could be down, up, or halfway. You could swim and play in the indoor/shaded part or the outdoor/sunny part.
July 30th, 2010 at 11:57 am
so i have the same question that cannot be answered why can sioux falls and brookings build very nice pools for way less money than brandon? that is the problem with these blogs we get off track and loose sight of the real issue COST i think every person in brandon would love to see a new pool that we could use but things are tight right now and everyone watches their money very close. so i guess i would like to know if their was just one bid done and if that is the case the person who decided to get only one should be kicked in the head for being stupid!! we need to get a number of bids and let the brandon resedents see what is going on.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Check out what Sheldon IA did with their indoor pool. Tore it down and built a nice outdoor aquatic center and now the kids use the pool. the school is not going to keep an indoor pool a float (pun intended). There may be a swim club started in town but then people will complain when they cannot get into the pool cause of practice or a meet. The membership dues that would be needed to keep an indoor pool profitable would not be affordable. Even a town with a college like Madison had significant troubles getting an indoor facility built and they just put in an upgraded outdoor center for I bet half of what the Brandon project is propsed. Sometimes remodeling and retrofitting are more costly than buldozers and rebuilding.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Alica,
Wasn’t that the old Howard Johnsons?
July 30th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Jorge, The one I’m thinking of wasn’t in Sioux Falls. I remember that it was somewhere on a trip, but I can’t remember what town.
July 30th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Yes, the Howard Johnsons had a swimming pool like you described. I can remember going there for birthdays and holidays. I think investing too much money in an outdoor pool would be a waste of tax payer’s money. The pool met capacity levels once this summer, thus, lets cry out that we need a larger pool. I don’t think so. An indoor facility would be wonderful. I know several adults who would use it during the day, many for exercise and others for physical therapy. These same adults would not go to the existing pool, as there is no place to swim laps, unless you go during family swim, which doesn’t work for the most part of the summer due to ballgames. I do think the city needs to like a look at the “needs” list and take care of those first, but an indoor facility would be nice.
July 31st, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Please, city council, scrap this idea. An indoor facility makes sense, an expanded outdoor facility does not. It could also have community meeting rooms, exercise facilities, and maybe even a gymnasium/walking track. I would use an indoor pool during family swim time quite a bit, and I think it would also be a good resource for rehab or senior aquatic routines.
July 31st, 2010 at 4:57 pm
I would have to check the Argus archives, but my recollection is that when it came to a vote of the people, they preferred an outdoor facility rather than an indoor one at Drake Springs. I don’t recall if people’s reasons were use-related or cost-related, though.
August 1st, 2010 at 5:23 pm
How would an indoor pool solve anything? The problem is that the current pool is to small, so to solve the problem you need to build a bigger pool. You are not going to build a bigger pool if it is in a building. It is stated that the pool has not met capacity this summer but once. The reason for this is that people are sick and tired of going to the crowded pool so they are going to Sioux Falls instead of Brandon. Maybe instead of counting the number of times capacity is met, count how many times the slides are not usable because of the number of people. The pool sucks, the people of Brandon deserve better, not at 9.5MM but obviously it can be done for half as much based on some of the prior posts. Come on Council GET ER DONE!
August 2nd, 2010 at 6:26 am
I have lived here for 13 years, and I just can’t understand the resistance (here and in Sioux Falls)to building indoor pools. When I was a kid we had them and they were used for lessons, exercise, recreation, swim teams and rehabilitation year-round, by all ages. It seems really worth it with the length of our winters, a much greater return for the money.
August 3rd, 2010 at 9:22 am
The city council should look at the Rock Rapids, IA pool. Very nice, appropriate sized pool for a town like Brandon. The bathrooms at the current pool are hideous and need to be updated. I agree that the capacity has not been met because families are going elsewhere to enjoy nicer facilities.
August 3rd, 2010 at 12:56 pm
The new Drake Springs cost 4.7MM, the indoor version would have been 12MM. Found these numbers on keloland. Our proposal of 9.5MM is double, so our indoor pool would come in at 24MM.
August 4th, 2010 at 9:07 am
maybe Brandon should build an events Center out on I90 while they are building the pool of pools since SF can’t seem to get it done
August 5th, 2010 at 7:34 am
#33, I say Events Center, Pool and CASINO all in one. Since Iowa will be sucking money out of this state with its new casino. ha
August 5th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
People who says “No” to the Brandon Pool because “it’s never busy” is missing the point completely!
The pool not being busy is exactly the reason why a new one is needed; the current one is garbage!
Attendance will be up 10x if new/improved…
August 9th, 2010 at 8:39 am
I need to do some water therapy for the chronic lower back pain that I have and an indoor pool would allow me to do that year round…the right design could incorporate the outdoors similar to the old Howard Johnson pool with an outdoor deck for sunbathers and such… $9.5 million for 90 days less rain days…No..invest a little more for year round use….
August 10th, 2010 at 11:54 am
I cannot believe all the me me me I need this pool for this I need this pool for that. Let’s look at what will be the best for the community and the KIDS that you all complain about having nothing productive to do in town. If you can remember back to when you were a kid and think of what a great time you had biking to the local pool creating frendships and maybe even finding a little love. Now take that away so that somebody with a few aches and pains can take time from your swimming to do some fitness. Also I am not sure the basis of most of the aguments are for indoor vs outdoor I think most people are upset about the potential price tag after seeing what other nice facilities have been built for. $9.6 million seeems like a lot when SF has a nice facility for half Brookings has a nice facility for half Madison has a nice facility for half and I am sure there are more half examples. I will only support an outdoor facility but lets get the cost down a little.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
FYI water aerobics and lap swim are on Mon,Wed, Fri at the Brandon Pool. If you would call, you would know. There is many work outs and different things you can use to get the best workout possible.
August 20th, 2010 at 11:48 am
There are some things offered on certain days.. you are right but those are not always convenient for everyone. I know some people have resorted to paying to go to the Holiday Inn. They can go for $5 a week and do their exercises. I think it would be cost effective if they did like #30 mentioned. All ages would be able to use this. I think that 9 million is alot for an outside pool, but if we spent 12 on an inside they could do swimming lessons year round, arobics, and many other options to help cover costs. I think Brandon is big enough to handle an inside pool/recreational area. When I was a kid we use to get bussed to Luverne to go swimming since we didn’t have that here. Kids now days are not happy at the pool we have. My kids included. They quit going. They would go if it had other options.