One local organization continues their push toward the fundraising finish line. The Keota Pool Advocates have been hard at work for nearly three years, trying to make their proposal for a new pool in the city a reality. The previous pool, located at Lagos Acres Golf Course, closed prior to the 2018 season. A bond vote to fund construction of a new facility failed to pass in November of 2019.

At that point, the Advocates embarked on a $1.2 million fundraising campaign for the project, including a $500,000 Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant awarded last fall. The final effort is an online auction, going on now through Friday, March 11th, in conjunction with Sieren Auction Sales. There are more than 300 items available including grain bins, craft items, tools, antiques, novelties and more. Keota City Council Member Keith Conrad spoke with KCII this week about the online auction and how much is left for the group to raise. “If they would like to check out the items, there’s anything and everything on it. There’s more than 300 items. It’s through Riley Sieren. They’re within thousands to getting to their goal point. Like with anything there could be a little bit of sway here, a little bit of sway there, once we get our 30% completion engineering back what they think it’s going to cost. But right now, they’re within a few thousand.”

Conrad says that the design process should reach a 30% completion point by the middle of March at which time things will begin to move quickly, with a bid possible by April or May, construction beginning as early as late summer or early fall with a possible completion date before Memorial Day and a soft open to begin the 2023 season. The city also plans to draft a proposal to the YMCA of Washington County to staff and manage the pool. 

Click Here to view the online auction.