ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – The council recently OK’d more than $27,000 for the replacement of a heater at the city pool and installation of a new one.

“It was actually a little over $16,000 for the heater that we can buy,” Melvin Shepard, Aquatics Supervisor told the council. “That doesn’t include installation. The installation is going to take four or five days. Plus the exhaust vent is another $1,000 that we did not get a price for.”

Councilman Jeff Silvers asked Shepard if the price for the heater was $16,000, why was the final cost more than $27,000.

“If we purchased it and had it shipped to the pool, then we’d have to have a tractor down there to get it off the flatbed and onto the ground and something to get the equipment inside,” Shepard said. “This company will do all that.”

Shepard recommended the council OK the new equipment because the price quoted by the Nashville company was good for 30 days and that time period was close to running out.

“The issue is timing,” he said. “These heaters are not something they have in stock. They have to be manufactured. There is one that is already manufactured and it was quoted to this individual price.”

Shepard said the nine-year system is running haphazardly and has to be reset regularly. The new one, he said, would be much more efficient and save electricity.

The council voted 5-0 to approve the project. Councilmember Joni Blalock was not present.