City Engineer Barry Conway said the NatureWorks grant is a reimbursement program in which the city will have to pay for the entire project upfront and would be reimbursed $49,500. The city’s share of the project will be $16,500.
The pool is jointly owned by the city of Franklin and Franklin Twp., and one of handful of public swimming pools in the region. Both entities pay for a bulk of the operating costs with user fees, such as memberships, rentals and other activities, covering the remaining costs.
Last year, city officials said pool improvements cost about $190,000, with $105,000 coming from a state NatureWorks grant.
For 2018, Franklin completed rebuilding the concrete decking around the pool as well as replacing the underground circulation piping that had collapsed or got plugged up and added additional drain pipes this year. In 2017, the city did a number of external upgrades from painting to installing a new perimeter fence and a fence around the baby pool, according to city officials.
MORE: Community pools phasing out across Butler, Warren counties
The pool is one of a handful of public swimming pools in the area as many communities have closed their outdoor pools and went to splash-pads. Patrons come from Franklin, Carlisle, Franklin Twp., Springboro, Clearcreek Twp., and Germantown, officials said.
Franklin will open the 2019 pool season on Monday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
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