PAYSON — City leaders in Payson this week issued a $5.5 million sales tax revenue bond to finance a new community swimming facility.
Karl Teemant, Payson City recreation supervisor, said the facility is "very important" in the city's development.
"In a survey we had done here within the past year and a half, residents identified swimming as their No. 1 interest in recreation," he said.
No firm date has been set for construction to begin, although the facility is expected to be ready by May 2008.
The new facility will replace the city's existing pool at Memorial Park, 300 S. Main, which was built in 1976 and is becoming outdated and unable to meet the demands of a growing population, Teemant said.
The pool complex will be built in Constitution Park on Main Street between 600 South and 700 South.
Residents at the city's existing pool Thursday afternoon reacted positively to the announcement.
"I'm really excited, because this one is too small and it's outdated," West Mountain resident Diana Muhlestein said. "I'm all for having a new pool; it's something that needed to be done."
Another West Mountain resident, Shelley Jacklin, echoed that reaction.
"We're excited for it," she said. "It'll be a great improvement for the community."
The effort to build a new pool began about four years ago, Teemant said. The City Council appointed a committee to investigate the issue in 2003 and work has slowly progressed since then.
"We knew it would take some time," Teemant said. "We knew this was not something we could make happen in six months; we anticipated it would take a few years."
The new facility will combine a traditional lap pool with a family-friendly "leisure pool," designed to accommodate swimmers of all ages and abilities.
The design also incorporates a "lazy river" and two water slides, while picnic areas and a skate park, which will be relocated a short distance from its present location on the site to make way for the pool, round out the design on the edges.
"Our goal is to make more of an attractive pool," Teemant said. "Hopefully, it will attract people of all ages, not just children and teenagers, but parents and senior citizens as well."
By issuing a sales tax revenue bond, the city does not have to raise tax rates to cover debt payments. The other type of bond frequently used by municipal governments, a general obligation bond, requires the city to raise property tax rates to meet payments. Sales tax bonds, which require higher credit ratings, also generally have lower interest rates.
Residents acknowledged that the new pool has a high price tag, but said they support that if the pool turns out as planned.
"It's a lot of money, but hopefully it's a nice facility when it's done," Payson resident Leroy Hoole said. "I think it's something that could be really nice . . . not just for Payson, but for the whole area."
E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com