Spending a minimum of $35,000 to get the municipal swimming pool in working order was too much money for the city council. At Tuesday night’s meeting, the alderman kicked around ideas for obtaining another pool without wasting money on one that they said had served the community well but has become a financial burden.

For the second year in a row, the pumps will continue to run, chemicals will continue to be added, but the gate will remain locked and nobody will be allowed to swim.

One motion to fill it up with water and another to permanently shut it down died on the floor.

While the maintenance expenses steadily have grown each year and are expected to continue to rise to keep the aging pool open, the aldermen were not ready to call it quits forever.

“I’m just not ready to give up on it,” said council member Karen Watts.

Mayor Rey Jaso called on Clifford Lynn, water department supervisor to explain all the problems uncovered by a recent inspection.

“Clifford, you who are in charge of misery, have the floor,” Jaso said.

Lynn told the group that approximately $13,500 is needed in concrete work to resurface some of the pool, repair cracks, and rebuild a cinder block wall that is in danger of falling; $3,495 is necessary to replace skimmers; $4,000 is required to replace doors, $6,000 to replace ladders; $1,400 to replace a chlorine scale, $2,700 for basket strainers; and $700 to $1,000 is needed for welding.

“I have about $32,440 in repairs, not counting chemicals and supplies,” Lynn said.

Watts made a motion to fill the pool with water and provide minimum maintenance to avoid further damage.

When that motion died, council member Ron Nelson made a motion to cover over the pool and use the money toward obtaining a new pool.

Neither motion passed until considerable more discussion. In the end, the council agreed to fill it up with water to avoid further damage, add chemicals as required by law but use the money to obtain a master plan for the parks and search out grants from Parks and Wildlife Department to build a new pool.

This will be the second summer the pool has remained closed. In 2007, the pool took in $2,000 in revenues and paid out $2,500 in salaries and approximately $15,000 in pump repairs.

“You’re already up to $40,000,” said Ruben Garcia, council member. “It’s a sad situation.”