Marathon Residents Likely To Receive Say On Community Pool
By Terry Schmida
The ongoing debate about whether or not to build a community pool, will likely be put to a vote before Marathon residents, at a forthcoming poll.
A discussion on the matter took place during the Jan. 26 City Council meeting.
Mayor Mark Senmartin introduced the item, stating that he had been approached by a number of citizens voicing an opinion on the idea, and that “literally 100 people want a pool.” Senmartin then added that he felt the question of possible funding sources for the enterprise should be the option offered to voters, and that he felt a pool could be constructed with a “minimal amount of taxpayer dollars.”
Councilman Bill Kelly, who has previously undertaken to sound out members of the Monroe County School Board over possible use of the derelict Marathon Manor property, next to Marathon Middle High School, as a possible location for a pool, said that he, too, “would support putting [the pool] on the August ballot.” Aug. 30 is the date of Florida’s primary elections. Another opportunity could come later in the year, during the general election in November.
Kelly’s colleague Michelle Coldiron then asked Kelly how his initial inquiries into School District support for a Sombrero Beach Road location had fared. Kelly replied that the members he had talked to had expressed cautious support for the idea, but wanted specifics about how the project would unfold.
The Council, Kelly said, should “have something behind us to negotiate with,” such as a voter mandate. He added that the School Board “would want to know what the liabilities would be,” should Marathon take over the land in some way.
Council Member John Bartus then said that he felt voters should have more information about specific plans, before being asked to vote yea or nay.
“[A pool] is something Marathon has been talking about for a while,” he said. “People do need more information before it goes on the ballot.”
Member Dan Zieg also supported the idea of a referendum, saying that he didn’t “think the Council should make this decision.” The lack of a city-wide consensus on the issue had left the community “sharply divided” by the proposal.
Senmartin then suggested that city staffers get to work determining the cost of the demolition of Marathon Manor, a former home for the aged, while Kelly suggested the city look into second- and third-choice locations, should Plan A fall through.
Ultimately, the Council agreed, that staff should start taking a look at the feasibility of building a pool on the Marathon Manor site.
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