Fort Smith (Apr 18/05) - Residents of Fort Smith have given town council the green light to borrow another $1.5 million money to build a new swimming pool.

"I was very pleased to see the plebiscite go through and see the citizens of Fort Smith support it," says Mayor Peter Martselos.

Residents voted 215-97 on April 11, to increase borrowing from $2.5 million to $4 million. The overall cost of the pool is estimated at $4.5 million, about $1.2 million over budget.

About 1,200 were eligible to vote, but Martselos "expected a low turnout because the majority of people supported (the project) and they knew it was going to go through."

Martselos expects the pool, which will be attached to the Rec Centre, will be complete sometime before the end of the year.

Lauraine Armstrong, a long-time supporter of a new pool, is pleased the extra borrowing was approved.

"I'm happy it passed," she says. "It's good to see things are moving ahead."

Armstrong, who was involved in various pool committees since 2001, said many people put in a lot of time promoting the project.

The existing 27-year-old William Schaefer Memorial Pool will be open for one more summer. The seasonal pool has exceeded its life expectancy by many years.

A $3-million tender to construct the new pool building was previously awarded to CAB Construction of Fort Smith. Other costs include architectural fees and a stainless steel pool and hardware, which will be purchased by the town for about $600,000.

Martselos says a community committee has been established to raise money to buy "luxury" options for the pool, such as a slide.