Carson CIty Aquatic Facility pool is open, slide is not

The outdoor swimming pool at the Carson City Aquatic Facility opened Tuesday, but the new water slide is still closed until it can be inspected by its manufacturer.

Kurt Meyer, Aquatic Facility recreation supervisor, said the outdoor pool will be open from 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with time for swim teams and lap swim in the morning and swim teams at night.

Parks and Recreation Director Steve Kastens said the slide will not be opened until the city has a warranty from slide manufacturer, ProSlide. Kastens said the city is working on bringing ProSlide to Carson City to inspect the slide.

"We're still holding to the fact that we deserve a guarantee and a warranty from ProSlide," Kastens said. "And until we get one we're not going to open and use the slide."

ProSlide manager Michael Robilard said neither the city nor pool contractor American General Development has a warranty for the slide work.

"They haven't been able to demonstrate that they've installed the slide properly according to ProSlide specifications," Robilard said. "Until we can be satisfied with it, we won't take responsibility for the installation because we didn't do it. We have no way of knowing it was done correctly."

An ongoing conflict over construction work at the pool with American General has not been solved yet. However, Kastens said mediation attempts have resulted in the contractors' return to the pool site.

American General workers are fixing some of the problems in the therapy pool.

"They're doing selective improvements," Kastens said. "They're working on the punch list, but to what degree they'll complete it, I haven't been told."

Kastens said mediator Mike Mitchell is still working with the developer on a few other items that need to be corrected.

The Aquatic Facility, the first large Quality of Life initiative project, was supposed to be completed in September 1999. Delays mostly due to bad weather pushed the completion of the first phase of the project into November and pushed the $3.6 million price tag up by $160,000.

Call 887-2242 for information on the Carson Aquatic Facility.