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John “Jack” Helin
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TAB 5
Kansas City Kansan (Kansas City, KS)
May 17, 2005
High bids cause building delay for pool
Author: MELISSA SHUMAN
A Bonner Springs aquatic center has been setback one month after bids came in too high.
During the November General Election, Wyandotte County taxpayers approved a 1/4-cent sales
tax to build a $3.5 million aquatic center in Bonner Springs. Mayor Clausie Smith said that last
week, the lowest bids for construction were $4.7 million for the project. "So officially, we
rejected the bids," he said. "The council is negotiating with low bidders to see if they can come
in under bid. We're going to have an aquatic center, it's just taking a month longer to get started."
Smith said according to state law, the city couldn't accept bids higher than the sales tax bond
issue of $3.5 million.
John Helin, Bonner Springs city manager, said the voter's referendum asked for a bond of $3.5
million with a construction cost of $3.2 million. Helin said the center would have two pools and
several water toys for children. "It would be a regional pool that would draw people from area
wide," he said. "There are only (pools) in Shawnee and in Leavenworth of this nature."
Helin said original plans, which may have to be modified to fit in construction costs, had two
water slides, a zero-depth entry pool, a walking area, a water channel and a whirlpool seating, a
separate, 25-meter lap pool with a diving board and two slides. The facility would also have
men's and women's dressing rooms and an office area. "That was the layout we had and the
engineering estimate was based on those features," Helin said. He said the high bids gave higher
costs for the entire project, not just high costs for a particular feature. "We've asked the
contractors to go and see what they need to do to get the prices down," he said.
The aquatic center will be built on the site of the old pool. Smith said in 1979, the city of Bonner
Springs purchased a private club, called Fun Valley, to provide a public pool. The pool drew
people throughout Wyandotte County and beyond. "It was an older pool and it simply could not
be repaired," Smith said. The city had to close its pool for last summer's season and already
planned to have it closed for this season, as well. "Hopefully, within another month we'll be back
in operation," he said.
Smith said the council hadn't decided about eliminating items from the design plans, but said the
project would have to stay within the $3.5 million budget. He said it is the city's hope to keep the
project within $3.2 million for contingency plans. "What we hope to have happen is have the
bids back in by next week," he said. "They're scheduled on the May 23 council meeting to decide
where we're at with the pool."
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