Supervisors consider new pool contractor, Carson Street restriping

Carson City officials hope to see construction on the two-year nightmare that has become the Carson City Aquatic Facility wrapped up by the end of the year.

The city plans on replacing contractor American General Development, which was removed from the job in August, with local contractor Metcalf Builders. City supervisors Thursday will decide on a $272,000 contract with Metcalf Builders to fix problems at the pool.

Conflicts between the city and American General over shoddy construction work ended in August with American General being removed from the job. Problems centered around construction of the new 86-foot water slide, the indoor therapy pool and air ducts in the indoor pool. Repairs will be paid for with about $329,000 that is being withheld from AGD.

Tom Metcalf, owner of Metcalf Builders, said his company plans to fix the therapy pool, outdoor slide and air ducts. Metcalf has three months to finish the project.

Metcalf said more investigative work needs to be done to find out exactly what is wrong with the therapy pool, which loses almost an inch of water daily. He also said the slide will need to be dismantled and reassembled. Metcalf said he hired a representative from ProSlide, the slide manufacturer, to come from Canada to monitor the slide's construction.

"We're there to help," Metcalf said.

Kurt Meyer, pool recreation supervisor, said the city has lost a "considerable" amount of money without the slide being open through the summer.

"Last year, I had Reno and Sparks recreation departments and YMCAs calling saying, 'I hear you're putting in a water slide. Can we come every Wednesday?'" he said. "I just explained what had happened. But having an extra 150 kids a week, that could add up."

Meyer said regardless of ongoing pool problems, the new facility is drawing more swimmers.

"The big indoor pool has made a big difference," he said. "We have so many more people than we ever had before. I can't imagine how I could squeeze all the people interested in swimming now into that old, six-lane pool."

The city decided not to rebid the contract for pool work because the repair work is being done under the original contract, said Deputy District Attorney Neil Rombardo. He said no litigation is pending on the project.

The aquatic facility, the first large Quality of Life initiative project, was supposed to be done in September 1999. Delays mostly due to bad weather pushed the completion of the first phase of the project into November 1999 and pushed the $3.6 million price tag up by $160,000.

Phase II was expected to be finished by Jan. 31, and then the first part of February. After more weather and construction delays, the date moved to March 31. City officials claim the work still isn't done.

A mediator was brought in to try to help the city and AGD work through their dispute, but that didn't work either.

Phase I of construction at the facility included enclosing the 50-meter pool, work on outside heating and air conditioning and the reconfiguration of the dressing rooms. Phase I of the project went beyond its original deadline by 128 days and was finished in late October 1999.

Phase II included the demolition of the building surrounding the old indoor pool, construction of a therapy pool and building around the pool, a slide for the 25-yard pool and reconstruction of the facility's mechanical room.

Also before the board of supervisors:

- The Nevada Department of Transportation will present its plan to relieve congestion on South Carson Street by restriping the highway from four lanes to six.

NDOT Spokesman Scott Magruder said the state is planning a Carson Street overlay from Stewart Street to Highway 50 next year. The project is estimated at $975,000.

The preliminary striping plan called for a third southbound lane from Fairview Drive to Highway 50 West.

A third lane is being added from the Spooner Summit Junction to Jacks Valley Road as part of this summer's Highway 395 overlay project into Douglas County. Northbound traffic should get an extra lane of traffic from the Highway 50 interchange to Stewart Street.

If you go:

What: Carson City Board of Supervisors

When: 8:30 a.m. Thursday

Where: Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.