AFTER MUCH DEBATE, WORK ON MARBLE HILL POOL IS UNDER WAY

MARBLE HILL -- When St. Louisian Larma A. Wisely died in 1976, she left the city of Marble Hill $650,000 in her will to build a municipal swimming pool.

More than nine years later, her wishes will be fulfilled.

After years of debate and lawsuits, the Marble Hill Park Board is moving ahead with plans to finish the pool complex.

The pool was was built by city officials several years ago, but the project was abandoned because of conflicts in local government.

"The pool is going to be 30-by-75 feet -- the smallest municipal pool in the state," said Chuck Freeman, president of the Marble Hill Park Board. "The city had $650,000 to build the pool, but they only spent $100,000 to dig it.

"They wanted to use the rest of the money to build a new city hall complex," he said. "But that's not what Mrs. Wisely wanted."

The Marble Hill Board of Aldermen and park board sought a declaratory judgment in circuit court to determine whether it is legal to use a trust fund earmarked for the construction of the swimming pool to also build a city office complex.

Marble Hill Mayor Adrian Shell refused for several months to sign checks from the trust fund until the city had a legal opinion clarifying what the money can be used for.

The trust was established in Wisely's will in 1976. She had visited Marble Hill, where her brother Frank Pellegrino once owned a factory. He donated land on which the pool is to be built in what is known as Pellegrino Park.

Following her death, Wisely left half her estate to the city of Marble Hill to construct the swimming pool. The trust also provides that funds could be used for other improvements in the park or to pay for maintenance of the park after the pool is built.

The money, $650,000, was granted to the city in several installments between 1988 and 1990. By June 1991, with interest, it had grown to $768,863. The park board is designated the trustee of the fund.

There has been some dissension within the city over whether the trust also allowed for the construction of a city office complex adjacent to the pool. The controversy was one reason a petition was circulated more than two years ago requesting the state auditor to review the city's finances.

Marble Hill City Attorney Gary Kamp decided it was proper to use money from the Wisely Trust for the office complex; however, state Auditor Margaret Kelly strongly disagreed with that opinion in her audit.

The trust also created turmoil within the board after the death of Alderman F.X. Peters in February 1992. The three remaining members of the board were unable to agree upon who to appoint as a replacement.

As a result, the board is often in stalemate since it takes all three members to have a quorum for meetings and unanimous votes to take action.

It all boiled down to two members of the board not wanting to approve Shell's appointments to the position, for fear the new member would side with the mayor and the third alderman in building a pool, not a city complex.

For now, the city complex is on hold and the construction of the swimming pool has resumed.

"The bids are being let for a 60-day completion," said Freeman. "We want this pool open this year -- as close to Memorial Day as possible."

Cracks and leaks in the pool must be repaired, it has to be painted, and a new bath house and pump house are to be constructed.

Sikeston architect Ron Grojean has been hired by the city to design the bath and pump houses. Curly Pools in Salem, Mo., will do the work on the pool itself.

"I'm just concerned with the pool; not the politics," said Freeman. "The city has been squabbling over the trust too long. I just can't believe a town as poor as this one has been fighting over this money like this."

Freeman said the city may someday build a bigger pool adjacent to the one they will finish for this summer.

"But our main concern is getting the pool we've got now, open," he said. "After that, we will assess the needs and our resources and we'll go from there."