St. John park district receives no bids for pool boiler project

St. John Park and Recreation District is heading back to the drawing board after a request for proposals failed to receive any bids to replace the district's struggling pool boiler.

The district had issued a call for bids in December to have its boiler replaced well ahead of the summer season, but no bids were received by the Jan. 15 deadline.

“We haven't received any bids yet,” said Roger Beck, park district supervisor. “The board will have to meet and decide what to do.”

Though no date for the next board meeting has been set yet, Beck said he expects it will be soon so that preparations could be made to possibly go out to bid again.

“It will be soon because we need to figure out what we are to do,” he said.

The pool's boiler has been in use for 13 years – well past the five to seven years a boiler is expected to last.

“They've totally taken it apart, cleaned things up and repaired parts that needed to be replaced,” Beck previously told the Gazette. “Every time they take it apart, they say it's getting closer.”

Beck also previously said the district hopes to have the price tag for the boiler, the removal of the old boiler and installation of the new one come in at less than $20,000.

The district is using money saved up from its levy funds to be able to pay for the boiler.