DeKalb Park District board candidates talk Hopkins Pool plans

Editor’s note: To learn more about other candidates running for elected office in your community, check out our digital Daily Chronicle Voter Guide at www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/election. You also can read candidates’ full responses to our questionnaire, and watch or listen to a video forum for contested races hosted by Shaw Local News Network.

DeKALB – Candidates running for the DeKalb Park District’s Board of Commissioners recently weighed in on the district’s decision to demolish Hopkins Pool and replace it with a new aquatic facility worth millions of dollars.

DeKalb voters on April 1 will get to choose three out of five candidates seeking four-year terms on the park board: incumbent Douglas Eaton, incumbent Dag Grada, Michelle Foster, Tia Anderson and Dean Bourdages. Commissioners decide how to spend the park district’s money, what programs and park services to prioritize, and set the annual property tax levy, among other things.

Candidates were asked to share their platform and priorities if elected in a Shaw Local News Network questionnaire. Here are some of their responses, edited for length and listed in alphabetical order. To view their full responses, visit our Election Central webpage.

Hopkins Pool in DeKalb was demolished in November to make way for a new aquatic facility that is projected to open by 2026. The entire project is estimated to cost between $12 million and $15 million, according to the park district. That also means DeKalb residents won’t have a public pool for the second summer in a row.

Candidates were asked: Do you agree with this decision? Why or why not?

Tia Anderson

“We needed a new pool. The pool was old and in disrepair. A hefty price tag was inevitable. However, I am concerned of the timeframe for completion. I don’t believe it should take this long. It appears work started later than anticipated and partly attributed to the departure of the previous executive director, which brings us full circle to the importance of retention in leadership.”

Dean Bourdages

“I was under the impression the pool replacement project was estimated to be costing $9.5 million to $10 million back in February 2024 when it was approved. Now it’s my understanding the estimated cost is between $12 million and $15 million, and it will take a extra year. My concern is how is this change going to affect the taxpayer, and why the increase?

“A $2.5 million to $5 million difference needs to be looked at and explained to any new board member on what changed. If all the bids were in and plans were finalized back in March or April of 2024, I do not understand why the demo work did not start in the spring of 2024. What are the reasons for the delays? It is an unfortunate situation for the residents, and especially the kids of this community, not to have a pool to use in the hot summer months for two years.”

Douglas Eaton

*Eaton turned in his Shaw Local questionnaire responses after press time for the print version of this story, though his responses appear for the digital version.

“As a member of the DeKalb Park District Board, I have worked hard alongside the other Board members and with staff to design and construct a new pool. A pool was one of the cornerstones the original park district was founded upon, and I believe it is a very important amenity because it provides recreational opportunities for the public and is the only outdoor pool in our area. Unfortunately, the complete demolition of the old pool was necessary, delaying the construction of a new pool. Work is underway to approve a new pool design in the very near future, with the goal of new construction beginning soon.”

Michelle Foster

“It was frustrating that the Hopkins Pool facility was not open last summer. I don’t understand why the staff and board chose not to open when demolition did not start until well after the summer season. This was disappointing for many residents, and the high profile of the property helps keep the issue fresh in citizens’ minds. Of course, now that it is demolished, the new pool will be rebuilt over several months, which means the facility will be closed again for summer 2025.

“I believe a new pool is a good choice. It can serve our community for decades to come. The price tag is high, but I believe there is a lot of community value in public pools. Learning to swim is a critical skill that can improve safety, offer physical and mental well-being, and offers many life experiences. A public swimming facility is a valuable asset for any community. I believe that this new pool’s accessible features, such as the zero-depth entry, will make it a place all residents can feel welcome during the heat of the summer.”

Dag Grada

“My personal opinion has been that the park district should have proceeded with the design we had a handful of years back. It would have been challenging running the project through the COVID-19 pandemic, but we would have had more pool for less money. It didn’t happen because the board changed, and the new consensus was that there had not been sufficient public input into the planning process. A pool planning committee was formed, time passed, post-COVID price increases put the previous design out of what we considered to be our budget, and essentially we were back at square one.

“Since summer is prime time for pool usage, it is also off prime for pool construction, so the decision was made to sacrifice a summer to affect construction cost savings. A top-end figure was determined for pool construction, but increasing liabilities discovered in the planning stages on top of rapidly rising material costs kept putting the project over potential budget. This prompted a series of redesigns and reductions in an attempt to bring project costs back in line with the potential budget.

“Our newly hired executive director brought a fresh perspective to the project this past summer. He questioned whether the reductions in size and amenities had left us with a pool that was capable of meeting the needs of the community. The question of funding was reviewed and revised to enable the redesign to a facility that should serve us for the next 30 years.

“Do I like that we’ll be closed for two summers? Not one bit. But I understand how we got here. Do I like the price tag? It’s a heck of a lot of money, but it’s either this, $10 million spent on an undersized check-the-box installation, or no pool at all. Of all the (altogether too many) surveys and studies and questionnaires that have been done with the community over the years, every single one has had the vast majority of respondents saying that yes, the community wants a pool.

“Apologies for the long answer. It’s not a simple issue, and it creates a bunch of headaches along the way.