The Sheridan City Council has asked a local engineering firm to create preliminary designs for upgrades to the city's pool.

A 2014 assessment of Kendrick Park Pool showed the pool is not accessible to some people with disabilities, and is in need of other updates, like a new mechanical room. A survey also shows that residents overwhelming want additional amenities such as a lazy river.

So, as the city council considers to what extent they'll be improving the pool, they approved Interstate Engineering to draw up plans for 30 percent of the total design. Sheridan City Engineer Hanns Mercer said that will help the city think about how far to take the plans.

"Once we hit 30 percent design, we're going to know what our costs are. We're going to know what our base costs for the necessary repairs are," he said.

The city is considering phasing the construction to prioritize urgent upgrades over additional amenities that are not immediately necessary, Mercer said.

"We're planning for the future. We're going to do what we can afford to now, but we're not going to limit our constraints with the pump size or a small pump house. They'll always have room to expand once funding is identified," he said.

Funding the updates is a concern. Sheridan Mayor Roger Miller said that's why getting the complete picture is important.

"What we want these numbers for is so we can have those very valid number to bring to the public , the voting public who will actually be paying the bill," he said.

Miller said funding could come from the capital tax, 1 cent or general funds.

Some council members voiced concerns that the project's potential cost has grown beyond what was initially anticipated and it's something council and the public need to be aware of as they move forward.

The preliminary plans are due back to council in February.

Have a question about this reporting? Contact the reporter, Catherine Wheeler, at cwheel11@uwyo.edu