The passage of any new county ordinance requires at least one public hearing.
But how can the Bartholomew County commissioners conduct such a hearing when COVID-19 restrictions prohibit the public from being at the hearing?
On Monday, the commissioners unanimously approved the first reading of a proposed ordinance regulating the construction, maintenance and operation of public and semi-public swimming pools.
The second and final vote is expected to be held at 10 a.m. next Monday.
Provisions within the ordinance state that if local health officials discover such things as chemical imbalances, excessively cloudy water or certain mechanical failures, those responsible for the pool could face a misdemeanor fine of not more than $500 for the first offense — and up to $1,500 for the second.
Key provisions of the proposed ordinance were outline to the commissioners Monday by Link Fulp, Director of Environmental Health for the Bartholomew County Health Dept.
According to Fulp, similar fines will be levied against those who refuse to take action requested by the health department, or attempt to interfere with an inspection.
The proposed ordinance contains no fines, fee or regulations that aren’t already required by the Indiana Department of Health, commissioners chairman Carl Lienhoop said.
For that reason, the commissioners felt comfortable giving the proposal their first-reading approval without members of the public present, Lienhoop said.
What the ordinance will do, if given final approval next week, is provide local health officials the ability to enforce existing state regulations, Fulp said.
“We don’t have a local ordinance stating that, if there is a problem with the pool, what the remedies are — or if there is a refusal to take action,” Fulp told the commissioners. “If there is a problem, we don’t have a lot of abilities to motivate someone to make corrections.”
Lienhoop expressed a desire to put the ordinance on the fast track because of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, he said.
Currently, there are 46 public and semi-public pools located throughout Bartholomew County, with one under construction, Fulp said. Under a seasonal program, efforts are made to inspect the Donner Center and Ceraland pools once a week, he said.
While the remaining swimming facilities are inspected every two to three weeks during the summer, the health department inspects indoor pools every season of the year, Fulp said.
In addition, all public swimming facilities undergo a separate annual inspection to ensure all equipment such as pumps, filters, and safety equipment are functioning properly, he said.
