The Fayette swimming pool is scheduled to open on time during Memorial Day weekend later this month. The splash park at the Fayette City Park opened on Friday, May 12, but was closed the following day due to a faulty pump.

Public Works Director Danny Dougherty told the city council during its most recent meeting on Tuesday, May 9, that a new manager and nine lifeguards have been hired for the pool.

Shannon Barbe, a student at the University of Missouri in Columbia, will manage the pool this year.

The pool will open for the summer on Saturday, May 27.

“We got the pump installed. Everything is cleaned and ready to go,” Dougherty told the council. 

Issues with the pump caused the city to close the pool early last year. The pool closed in late July because the motor in the pump, which was new at the start of this season, failed. The pool was scheduled to stay open through August 18, and pass holders were given a 25% refund.

The pump has been rebuilt with a new motor. 

The splash park, which opened last year, has already had issues with broken components. Repairmen were here Friday to replace parts and bring it online for the summer, but the pump began smoking on Saturday, forcing the city to shut down the pad temporarily.

When the park reopens, it will be available for use from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Dougherty also updated council members on the Spring Street bridge, which has been closed to traffic since April of last year. MECO Engineering recently put the project out for bids to replace the box underneath and to widen the bridge.

“I’m unhappy about it,” said Northwest Ward Alderwoman Peggy O’Connell. She has been a vocal critic of the city’s use of MECO for virtually every project. Specifically, her disapproval lies with how long the project is taking to complete.

“It should have been done already, and it’s finally out for bids,” O’Connell said.

Bids are scheduled to be opened on Thursday, May 25. At the time of the council meeting on May 9, no bids had been received.  

The bridge lies on Spring Street, directly next to Daly Elementary School and the school district’s softball field. Although that section of the street is blocked from traffic during school pick-up and drop-off times, the bridge’s closure has caused issues with other traffic, such as during softball games and summer sports.

The city council meets regularly at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at City Hall. Meetings are open and the public is invited.