ELLEN MORTENSEN

The Village of Callaway Pool Committee hosted an informational open house on July 13, to provide residents with a look at the proposed design for a new pool in the village. The meeting was also an opportunity for residents to ask questions and receive information on the financial impact of a new pool on the community.

Of course, not all Callaway residents attended the open house or have reached out to committee members with their questions and/or concerns. That, said committee chair Lawrence Paulsen, has led to some misunderstanding and misinformation among the people - and he wants to clear the air.

“The way it works is, the village has to pass a bond for the full cost of the pool, and the people need to vote on that. All the board is doing is drafting the resolution for a bond that the people will vote on in November,” Paulsen explained. “In order to get a grant, you have to have a village approved bond for the full amount of the pool to cover the entire cost. That does not take into account any money that the Village puts in or any donations, grants or anything like that. So the actual cost to the citizen isn’t going to be determined until the bids have been accepted and everything is done. If we are successful at getting grants and things like that, the bond may only be $3 million.”

Paulsen said he has heard from several members of the community that the impression among some is that residents will be forced to pay $73 per month for the pool. That, he said, is simply not true.

He emphasized the fact that the full burden for the cost of the pool will not be placed on local taxpayers. Rather, the bond request for the full cost of the new pool is a requirement of the entities that distribute grants for these types of projects. Grants that Paulsen says will help offset the cost of the project, and reduce the cost of the bond.

In an effort to keep informing the public on the pool and proposed bond issue, anyone who would like is invited to attend the Village Board meeting on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Village Office. This is a regular board meeting, all of which are always open to the public. All agenda items will be discussed and acted on at the board meeting.

On Aug. 17 an open house will be held at the Community Center at 7 p.m., which will focus only on the pool project. Paulsen said the meeting will be an open forum to allow for discussion and questions.

“One of the things that we have to consider is, if we don’t do it now the cost is only going to go higher,” Paulsen said. “And the cost of repairs will also go higher.”

If the people vote on a bond for a new pool and it doesn’t pass, it cannot be taken back to the voters for another two years. “The cost is going to go up significantly two more years down the road,” said Paulsen.

The proposed bond of $4 million will not be what the final bond will actually be. The Village has already designated money and continues to put money aside for the project, and Paulsen said the committee is also working to solicit donations.

“If the bond passes in November we will want to issue a bond for a certain amount of money so we can lock in all of our materials so they don’t go up,” he explained. “Then we will continue fundraising events throughout the rest of 2022 and 2023, which will be an ongoing effort to lessen the amount of the bond. The Village is also committed to making annual payments to the pool account, like they have in the past, so we know it’s going to go lower. But we can’t get a grant - they won’t give you a grant - unless you have a bond in place that pays for the entire pool.”

Paulsen is determined to help people in Callaway understand how the process works and why the committee has to ask for the full amount of the pool in the bond election. As soon as the bond passes the committee plans to put the project out for bids.

“The engineers have estimated high on costs and put in contingency funds, and we hope to come in lower than the $4 million,” Paulsen continued. “Ultimately what it comes down to is the citizens deciding on whether they want Callaway to improve and continue to be a welcoming place for people to live, or whether we want to not improve.”