Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry said that a feasibility study for a public pool will happen this spring.
Perry made the announcement at city council’s Feb. 3 meeting. The city has been without a public pool since the one at Liberty Park closed in 2021.
“We’ll be looking at the public pool in general, how big. If we take a step in that direction, we want to make sure it’s sustainable for many, many years to come,” Perry said.
The mayor said she has “soft launched” the idea of building a public pool at the West Park Shopping Center, which was purchased by Dan and Brenda Niss for $1 million at the end of December. It will be demolished.
“I think West Park would be a nice spot for that,” Perry said.
After the meeting, she said her goal is to start the feasibility study in April or May. She said it would be a six-week process.
“There will be public involvement,” Perry said.
Plow drivers worked 12-hour shifts during recent snow event
In his report to council, Public Works Director Louis Andres recounted the recent snowstorm, which dumped about a foot of snow on Mansfield and the surrounding area.
Andres said the plow drivers worked 12-hour shifts.
“We had plenty of snow. We had plenty of salt, but we can’t use it if it’s between 10 and 15 degrees,” he said. “It’s not effective. If it’s out there and it’s cold, we’re not going to waste the salt on it.”
Finance Director Kelly Converse said her department is in the final stages of preparing the 2026 budget.
Safety-Service Director Keith Porch handed out an annual report on the drone unit to council and members of the media.
In legislation, council held to a first reading the purchase of a new pumper for the fire department, at a cost of $1.15 million. Money will come from the capital equipment fund.
Chief Dan Crow said it would be a replacement for a 2018 fire engine. He said the department aims for getting 10 years of frontline service out of its fire engines and 10 more in reserve.
Crow told council that the department has usually bought fire engines in pairs, but the cost is too high to keep doing so. He said the same model the department will get was $740,000 in 2022.
Answering a question from Councilwoman Cheryl Meier about delivery time, Crow said it would be about 2½ years.
In other business, council:
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419-521-7219
X: @MarkCau32059251
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mayor announces feasibility study for public pool in Mansfield
Reporting by Mark Caudill, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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