Surge Tank Repair Complete; Leisure Pool Reopens to Public On Sunday

The Sedalia Park Board met Thursday night with six members present at the Heckart Community Center and one on the phone.

Parks & Rec Director Amy Epple gave the board an update on the Heckart, which focused on the repair of a surge tank.

Epple said at the December meeting that the leisure pool would be shut down for about a week to check on a possible leak in the surge tank.

The leisure pool will be closed for a time period of between 5 and 7 days in late January. “It's still leaking water and we want to get that done before the warranty runs on March 18,” Epple said, adding that it will be drained during that time and it will only be closed for one Saturday.

The competitive pool remained open. Water aerobics classes took place there, she noted.

Also, a Smith-Cotton girls swim meet is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 14.

Therefore, the repair work on the surge tank was done this week. Epple noted that it had to be done before the warranty expires.

The leisure pool is expected to reopen this Sunday, Jan. 15.

Epple explained after the meeting to KSIS that as of Thursday, the surge tank has been repaired, but it has to stay dry and “cure.” KC Gnnite will be at the Heckart Friday and get the rest of the water in the surge tank. KC Gunite out of Belton is a contractor that did the construction on the indoor pool.

“They'll come in and make sure everything looks good and everything was done correctly, and then we'll fill the pool the rest of the way. The good thing for us is we only had to empty the surge tank,” Epple said.

A surge tank takes the water that is splashed into the drain surrounding the pool and filters and recirculates it.

“So we were able to empty just the surge tank. And since there were no swimmers in the pool, we could add the chemicals and everything and keep the pool going, so we didn't have to drain it all the way, so the water will be warm and we don't have to waste as much water,” Epple explained.

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The Sedalia City Council approved a contract amendment with KC Gunite the first week of July of 2020 for construction of an aquatics center for the Heckart Community Center at a cost of $4,461,800.

That came after a final design was approved and the contractor bid exact specifications. The amount was higher than the original estimate of around $3.6 million. The Sedalia Park Board selected KC Gunite as the contractor back in January of 2020, explained Parks & Rec Director Amy Epple.

Kaylea Nicole Weber was announced as the new Marketing and Special Events Supervisor for Sedalia Parks & Rec.

Weber, a Smithton High School graduate, is currently working three days a week for Parks & Rec. That will increase to full-time in the spring when Weber graduates from UCM with a degree in marketing.

Weber issued a statement to KSIS Friday morning regarding her new job:

I am very excited to take on the position as the Marketing and Special Events Supervisor for Sedalia Parks and Rec. I was born and raised here in Sedalia and I hope to do whatever I can to continue growing our community.

 

Weber replaces Savannah Lynde, who left her position a few months ago to take a job in Warrensburg.

Volleyball will take center stage at the Heckart over the next three months. A total of 14 volleyball tournaments are coming to the Heckart Center through the “Heart of America” association for ages 12U to 17U in January, February and March.

Park Board members appearing in person at the meeting Thursday night included Sydni Herrick, Bill Woolery, Dan VanDyne, Connie Washington, Megan Simon and Board President Jerry Case. Jan Summers listened to the meeting via smartphone.

The Park Board meets again Feb. 9. The public is invited to attend.