SALEM — The City Council is set to vote in a special meeting Thursday on the Signature Parks Bond, which would allow the city to borrow up to $16.1 million for the improvement of city parks, including a new Forest River Pool.
The majority of the funding from the bond would be used to build the new pool, which would be moved further back from the coastline and would have a new community room attached to the bathhouse.
The pool, which was once a gathering place for kids from all neighborhoods of Salem, faced a variety of problems in recent years and needed to be frequently closed and drained due to water quality issues. Eventually, it was deemed to be damaged beyond repair and was closed at the end of the summer of 2017.
“A public pool is an important amenity for Salem, and getting the best possible funding for the new pool is extremely wise,” said Ward Three Councilor Patti Morsillo. “Forest River Park has one of the only summer programs in the city, so this community room is important to keeping this program available to our kids even when it rains.”
In addition, Signature Parks Bond funds would be used to make upgrades to The Willows, Salem Common, Palmer Cove Park and Pioneer Village. The park upgrades are scheduled to be completed in time for Salem’s 400th birthday in 2026.
According to a letter sent to the City Council by Mayor Kimberly Driscoll, $9 million of the bond would be spent on the pool, while $1 million would be spent on the Willows, $1.5 million would go to the Common, $2 million would go to Pioneer Village, $2.1 million would go to Winter Island, and $500,000 would go to Palmer Cove.
At Winter Island, funds would be used to stabilize and preserve the Coast Guard hangar and barracks building for community re-use.
The mayor recommended in her letter that the authorization should occur this year while interest rates are low and the city’s bond rating is strong.
“We are not only advancing this request now because 2026 is rapidly approaching, but also because we currently can borrow at a historically low interest rate, most likely under 2 percent,” she wrote. “That interest rate, combined with our historically strong bond rating, means we now could fund these projects at a considerable savings. Deferring this authorization to a future year would be financially irresponsible, as it would mean borrowing when interest rates will almost certainly be much higher and additionally result in an increase in the cost of construction, which escalates over time.”
The bond order requires two passages through the City Council. It was initially passed unanimously on Nov. 19, and a second vote was scheduled for Dec. 3.
The bond was discussed in Tuesday’s Administration and Finance Committee meeting, but since the meeting was not properly posted according to Salem’s sunshine ordinance, their vote to recommend the measure positively to the Council was invalid.
A new Administration and Finance Committee meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday and the City Council will vote on the issue afterwards.
