MANNINGTON — The Marion County Commission is seeking legal advice about a situation at the Mannington Pool, Commissioner Randy Elliott said this week.
About 10 years ago, the Mannington Park Board hired Fibre Tech, a pool surfacing company from Largo, Fla., to install a new fiberglass coating to the 75-year-old Hough Park Swimming Pool, the city’s only local swimming facility. At that time, the county commission supplied over $40,000 to fund the material
But in the last three to four years, the liner has started coming apart, and park board President Katie Stafford said the group went back to the company, which gave a 25-year warranty on its work, to fund the repairs.
“We wrote a letter to the company asking them to help and stand behind what we thought was a guarantee,” she explained.
The park board is certain that Fibre Tech is responsible for the problems at the pool, Stafford said. And while the pool is up and running smoothly today with no leaks or problems because of various “Band-Aid” approaches that the park board has taken, it is still in need of a permanent remedy, which Stafford said has been estimated to cost $300,000.
She and her husband, Lenny Stafford, who is also the former mayor and a park board volunteer, attended a city council meeting this week along with Elliott to discuss this issue with council members.
“The pool is ready to collapse in on itself,” Lenny Stafford said. “It is the worst piece of workmanship that’s ever been done in this town. (The company) is responsible, and they should have been behind it.”
Elliott said the company did not etch and clean the liner as it should have when it was installed. Katie Stafford said that the company also hired two inexperienced local workers to install the liner when it was put in.
But, according to a letter sent from Fibre Tech at the beginning of last month, the company does not believe the problems at the pool are the result of its work. Officials from the company performed an on-site inspection of the pool in late April.
“What we found during our inspection is severe structural movement, cracking as a result of this movement and concrete spalling,” the letter states. “All of this has resulted in cracking and delaminating of our material.”
In response, Elliott said this letter is “untrue” and he has turned the case over to county attorney Charles Shields to examine. Elliott said the commissioners are involved in the situation both because of their initial investment in the liner and because they would like to ensure that the North Marion area maintains its local swimming source.
“It was a county issue, and we are obviously wanting to help any way we can,” Elliott said. “It is a public pool, even though it belongs to the city.”
He said the commissioners are scheduled to meet with Shields today to discuss the issue.
“This is not done yet. We are talking to (Shields) to see what avenues we can take to fix this,” he said. “It’s shoddy workmanship, and it was terribly done. The county is prepared to do what we have to get this taken care of.”
E-mail Mallory Panuska at mpanuska@timeswv.com.
In Today's TWV
July 9, 2008
Legal advice about Mannington Pool situation being sought
- In Today's TWV
-
-
US kills Osama bin Laden decade after 9/11 attacks
Osama bin Laden, the face of global terrorism and architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was killed in a firefight with elite American forces Monday, then quickly buried at sea in a stunning finale to a furtive decade on the run.
-
Construction around FSU
Construction matters were on the minds of the Fairmont State Board of Governors Thursday as they discussed projects to widen Locust Avenue and the continuing renovation of the historic Kennedy Barn.
First, a project to widen Locust Avenue to three lanes has been a priority for the state for several years. -
Goal: Redevelop site of former black Elks
City officials are hoping to solicit a buyer to redevelop the former site of the former black Elks building at the corner of Everest Drive and Cleveland Avenue.
Following the structure’s emergency demolition last weekend, city manager Jim Snider said the city is hoping someone will come forward to develop the site and recoup the city’s $72,000 demolition cost. -
Investigation continues into suspicious container, plastic jug that were blown up
Fairmont police detectives will continue their investigation into a suspicious can and jug that were blown up late Friday night by a State Police bomb squad, police said.
No one was injured, but the incident forced drivers to detour around Fairmont Avenue from Seventh to 10th streets while the area was secured and the containers were safely destroyed. -
Years of planning, work lead to new Baxter fire hall
In 1968, the Baxter Volunteer Fire Department opened its doors for the first time.
The department had its humble beginnings in a small pole building near the ball field. Over the years, the firefighters made do with the small building, adding on as they could, according to Destry Jones, Baxter fire chief. -
AmberView participation rising
Fairview Middle School has a higher percentage of students enrolled in AmberView than any other school in the state, officials said Friday.
AmberView is an innovative program, developed in West Virginia, that assists law enforcement by quickly issuing an up-to-date digital picture of a missing or abducted child. AmberView officials have seen participation rise dramatically in the last year. -
Police investigate, detonate suspected bomb
West Side’s main thoroughfare was blocked for hours while police investigated and then detonated a suspected bomb Friday night.
Fairmont City Police responded to a report of a suspicious package Friday after a 911 call from a passerby. -
Student housing at FSU booming
While enrollment may be down at Fairmont State this year, student housing is booming.
The university’s board of governors received preliminary enrollment numbers at its meeting Thursday. -
Jay to speak at convention
U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, an early supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, will be a speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month, a campaign aide said.
Rockefeller, 71, who is seeking a fifth-straight term in the Senate, will speak on Wednesday, Aug. 27, said Jessica Tice, his campaign press secretary. -
A strong ‘heartbeat’
“The chamber is the heartbeat of every community,” Gov. Joe Manchin told a crowd of approximately 375 people during the Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s 55th Annual Dinner.
Members of the business community gathered at Fairmont State University’s Falcon Center Thursday night for the event, which also serves as the chamber’s annual meeting. - More In Today's TWV Headlines
-
US kills Osama bin Laden decade after 9/11 attacks
