Sole bid rejected for SEBCO Pool renovation
JEFFERSON TWP -- The future of SEBCO Pool in the southeastern part of Butler County is uncertain after the Jefferson Township board of supervisors Monday, July 14, meeting.
During their monthly meeting, supervisors rejected the one and only bid it received for the pool’s renovation.
According to data from BidNetDirect, the bidding process lasted from June 5 through July 2. The sole bid was opened on July 3.
The sole bidder for the project was not named during the meeting, but according to township manager Leo Rosenbauer, the bid came in at just under $3.5 million — more than three times the township’s estimate of $1.1 million.
“They kept saying $1.1 million,” said township Supervisor Lois Rankin. “I said after COVID, we’ve got to be looking at this to be way up there, and that is way up there.”
SEBCO Pool serves Jefferson, Winfield, Buffalo, and Clinton townships, as well as Saxonburg, but is located within and owned by Jefferson Township. The pool’s infrastructure is decades old, with the pool liner, pipes, heater, and mechanical system particularly cited as in need of replacement or refurbishment.
The township and the directors of the pool had plans for an extensive renovation as early as 2022. In September 2022, the township secured a $555,000 grant from Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This was a 100% matching grant, meaning the township had to have the same amount of funds on hand to receive the grant.
In March of 2025, the township received a second, $125,000 grant from the state’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program.
2025 was already shaping up to be an unusual summer for SEBCO Pool, which had decided to end its season on Sunday, Aug. 17, two weeks earlier than usual, to accommodate the planned renovation. The pool’s opening day was also delayed four separate times due to a combination of inclement weather and pool issues — first from May 24 to May 30, then to June 3, then to June 7, and finally to June 11.
In addition, due to a pump failure, some of the pool’s features would not be available for the season.
Rosenbauer said the township’s engineering firm, Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, is consulting with Butler County Parks & Recreation director Lance Welliver on alternative solutions.
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