MH Boro Council ends efforts to renovate pool; cites rising costs, uncertainties
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MILL HALL -- After three years of fundraising, grant applications and planning, Mill Hall Borough Council voted during a special meeting Tuesday evening to reject bids for the long-awaited restoration of the Mill Hall Community Pool, concluding the project had become financially unsustainable.
The decision came after two rounds of bidding left the borough facing an additional $1.2 million beyond the approximately $2.5 million already secured through federal, state and local grants, fundraising and private donations.
Council members said the escalating construction costs, uncertainty surrounding the aging pool structure and the long-term expense of operating the facility left them with little choice but to end the project.
"We've been working a long time on this project," Mill Hall Dolphins representative Tom Bossert told council before the vote. "Of course, the final decision rests with council, and we accept whatever you do at this point in time. I think the Dolphins have made a gallant effort to proceed as best we could."
The Mill Hall Dolphins, a volunteer group that partnered with the borough on the restoration effort, spent years helping secure funding and advocating for the project.
Borough officials also updated the council on recent attempts to identify additional grant opportunities.
Secretary April Bittner said conversations with the project's engineering firm and the office of Congressman Glenn "GT" Thompson identified no immediate funding sources beyond a possible future grant worth up to $300,000 that has not yet opened for applications.
Dolphin Lenny Long urged council to exhaust every option before abandoning the project, suggesting reducing project amenities and lowering the construction contingency budget.
"It just kills me to give it back," Long said of the millions already raised. "I just want to make sure in my mind that you talk about and cover every base you could possibly cover. That's all. You make the decision, you move on and life goes on."
Long also reflected on what losing the pool would mean for the community.
"It's sad to think that we'll be a community of 10,000 people without an outdoor swimming pool," he said.
Despite those sentiments, council members said construction costs represented only part of the financial challenge.
"Once this pool's in the ground, these guys all walk away," said Council member Rick Hetzel. "That's when it starts because now you've got lifeguards, you've got all the people you've got to pay for, you've got upkeep."
The borough's previous pool operation, council noted, had run at a deficit of roughly $60,000 during the 2023 season.
"I'm not going to burden this community with $60,000 in debt," Hetzel responded. "To me, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend $2.5 million, or whatever it ends up being, and maybe have the pool open for a year or two and then turn around and close it down."
Council members also voiced concern that future operating support from neighboring municipalities could not be guaranteed, leaving Mill Hall taxpayers responsible for ongoing costs.
Officials also discussed the uncertainty of renovating the decades-old facility, noting hidden structural problems could significantly increase costs once demolition began.
"This isn't a total rebuild," Council member Tony Walker said. "This is only a Band-Aid."
Following the pool discussion, a motion was made by Council member Derek Caris to reject the pool bids received and not move forward with the project, seconded by Walker, ending the restoration project for the pool.
Members noted that additional legal steps would be required before determining the future of the existing pool site.
After the vote, Bossert and Long thanked the council for working with the Dolphins throughout the three-year effort.
"It's been a labor of love, but it's been a learning experience for sure," Long said. "We appreciate all the good feelings that were associated with it. There's always another project that maybe will come along."
Berry closed the discussion by reading a prepared statement on behalf of the borough stating:
"It is with profound sadness the Mill Hall Borough Council must inform the public that the Mill Hall Community Pool restoration project will not proceed. Following two rounds of bidding, the proposals received were significantly above our expectations. An extra $1.2 million is required to finalize the project. Council, alongside the Dolphins (Tom Bossert, Lenny Along and Bob Dwyer) worked hard to secure federal, state and local grants to help offset the cost of the pool restoration. In addition, many private donations of support were given to help the cause. The community rallied in our time of need. Unfortunately, it simply wasn't enough. Mill Hall Borough Council would like to thank all those who worked with us to try and make this project a success, legislators, donors, grantors, volunteers and especially, the Dolphins. We could not have gotten this far without your help. Thanks again to everyone that supported this community project."
Berry added that council could not justify shifting the remaining costs onto borough residents.
"As the governing body, we cannot, in good conscience, impose the additional financial burden of this pool restoration on the residents of Mill Hall Borough," he said. "Council is not prepared to raise tax revenue in one municipality solely for the benefit of a community pool."