STEUBENVILLE — City Council found out this week it needs to address problems at Belleview Pool or there might not be a Belleview Pool much longer.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Lori Fetherolf asked council for permission to begin working with Aspire, the city’s grant writing consultant, on an application for a $150,000 Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant. It would require a $150,000 local match. Fetherolf said the application isn’t due until November, so council would have plenty of time to bow out.

“The pool has a lot of issues,” she said. “Honestly, I don’t know if five or 10 years from now, it will be around.”

Fetherolf detailed “a lot of issues” with the pool, beginning last year with a pump that went out. While they were able to do a patch job to get it through this season, it was a temporary fix. “We’re still in the process of getting a new one,” she said.

“This year, the last week we were due to be open, I go down and the pool is not running at all — we burned up an electrical coil,” she said. “It was so old they couldn’t get it back quick enough for us to stay open so we closed early (for the season).”

Fetherolf said she’s concerned with the stability of the hillside and how it’s impacting the pool’s concrete deck.

“Sitting underneath it is the plumbing, all the plumbing,” she pointed out.

The pool filter is currently sitting outside, in direct sunlight, which she said is problematic.

“It needs to be enclosed so we can still get it out if we need to. “Fort Steuben Maintenance says it at least needs a roof on it or its going to continue to crack and break pipes,” she said.

“The other thing is the chlorine barrels,” she added. “We have three 200-gallon barrels — the recommendation is that you have a hole in the side of the barrel and piping to each barrel, and the company comes in to fill them. I stand there with chlorine hose in barrels but the last time they delivered it I was almost sprayed in the face. The (workers) told me to get it taken care of, I could have been blinded — before, it didn’t bother me, but now it bothers me that i got sprayed because the hose fell out of the barrel.”

Fetherolf said the grant plus the local match would give them $300,000 to throw at the problems, if it’s funded. She said the park board was concerned that if ODNR were to fund the city’s application, it would impact the 2023 swim season but she pointed out, “We wouldn’t even be notified until spring.”

“We could get the electrical (work) taken care of immediately, then wait on the concrete deck work until after the season,” she told council. “We could take care of a lot of the underlying issues because if we don’t do it now, it’s not going to be here. It’s the only pool in the city. We keep our prices low so all the kids can come and swim.”

She told members of council she didn’t need to know where the funds were going to come from, only that they support the application so she could start the process.

“It’s not due until until Nov. 14, after the budget, so you guys will have time to say yes or no,” she said.

In other business, 3rd Ward Councilman Eric Timmons reported the auditor found “everything was great, our finance director does a tremendous job. It’s great to hear, but it’s typical, now.”

“When you get an auditor’s award with distinction eight years in a row, you’re doing something right,” City Manager Jim Mavromatis added.

— Timmons also sunshined legislation appropriating American Rescue Plan funds for the West End water tank and CS03 projects.

— Councilwoman at large Kimberly Hahn scheduled a planning committee meeting for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30, when council’s Aspire representative will be in chambers for a face-to-face meeting.

— Second Ward Councilman Tracy McManamon said he, Urban Projects Director Chris Petrussi and Council Clerk Karly Haley are working on a project to identify landlords who still have mortgages on properties, describing it as “another tool” in code enforcement.

Fourth Ward Councilman Royal Mayo inquired about getting “children at play” signs, particularly on longer streets with fewer intersections.

“We inquired about putting more up but Department of Transportation has gotten away from them,” Mavromatis said.

“There are some places we need that, cars are ripping through at 50, 60 miles per hour,” Mayo said.

McManamon said he’s fielded half a dozen complaints during the last 10 days about speeders on Lawson Avenue, “I know there was a high-speed chase there the other day.”

Timmons reminded motorists to be mindful of the start of school — “Be vigilant of local kids walking to school.”

— First Ward Councilwoman Asantewa Anabwile called for an executive session after the public portion of this coming Tuesday’s meeting to discuss personnel issues.