Charlotte County commissioners pressed for answers June 10 over costly delays in the repair of the South County Regional Park pool. It has been closed for months and isn’t expected to reopen until Aug. 1 — nearly five months later than the original March 3 expected completion date.
Located at 670 Cooper Ave., the pool is undergoing $442,650 in repairs, including $256,800 for resurfacing and $185,850 for tile work, Senior Division Manager of Purchasing Kim Corbett said. The cost and timeline frustrated commissioners, who said they’ve received repeated complaints from residents eager for the facility to reopen.
Commissioner Chris Constance said swim moms contacted him, urging the county to open the pool sooner.
“We have to protect taxpayer dollars,” Commission Chair Joe Tiseo said.
The pool, located within the park’s 84.3-acre site, features a 25-yard, eight-lane competition area with a dive section and a shallow water play zone. It is used by residents and serves as the home pool for Charlotte High School’s swim team.
AuMiller Pools of Winter Haven was hired for the work, but company owner B.J. AuMiller told commissioners his crew discovered design flaws and structural issues that required unplanned fixes. These included grading problems, incorrectly constructed steps and faulty plastic lighting housings that had to be replaced with stainless steel.
Community Services Director Tommy Scott, along with Corbett, presented photos of the pool’s deterioration. “We have to make sure that corrective action you’re taking is going to be the industry standards according to an independent third party,” Tiseo said.
Tiseo, a retired contractor, and Commissioner Bill Truex, who owns a building company and is actively involved in the construction industry, asked AuMiller technical questions about the work his team has done.
Scott said the firm of Counsilman-Hunsaker of St. Louis was hired for $9,800 to view the pool and provide an audit report offering solutions. Its representative will arrive June 16 and the report will be available two weeks after that.
The firm offers solutions for aquatic facilities, including design, engineering, planning and risk management.
Tiseo said AuMiller should have alerted the county sooner about issues and should have been more present during the work. AuMiller replied that his team documented the work with photos, which Tiseo requested be submitted for review by the forensic engineer.
In the meantime, competitive youth swimmers commute nearly 12 miles to Centennial Park in Port Charlotte to practice, Scott said.
