The appropriation of $119,000 will come from unappropriated reserves from the eight-year plan fund, according to budget adjustment ordinance passed by the council at a called meeting Friday.

      According to Searcy Mayor David Morris, while preparing for construction to begin, it was found that the soil underneath what would be the parking lot area of the pool contains silt that would not be able to properly hold up the parking lot.

      "This is a situation that warrants our attention," Morris said.

      City officials including Morris, City Engineer Mark Lane, Searcy Parks and Recreation Director Mike Parsons met at City Hall with Will Andrews of ETC Engineering Inc, of Little Rock, the pool's designer, and Jeremy Hyde of Hydco Inc. of Little Rock, the contractor for the project. They also met with Johnny Brock of Johnny Brock Excavating and Landscaping at the pool construction site on South Higginson Street near the Searcy Sports Complex.

      "There are some areas where the soil is not in a good of shape as it needs to be," said Lane. "There's a lot of silt in the area where the southeast part of the parking lot is."

      Lane said the first option considered was to cut all of that part of the soil out and replace it.

      Brock suggested rather than cutting it and bringing new soil in, which would be two operations and cost more, that he would charge less to bring fill in per yard.

      "In order to make that work, you have to raise not only the parking pad, but you have to raise the pool site," Lane said. "It's about $80,000 initially there."

      Lane said he went back and made some revisions. Hydco sent an estimate of $119,000. ETC's estimate came in around $83,000.

      "[Jeremy] did say that was a worst-case scenario number," Lane said. "That's taking everything out. Having to go over everything."

      Lane said the raising all the areas would be the best option. It will be raised approximately 2 feet.

      Lane said he did not know why the soil problem had been missed..

      According to Lane, ETC hired Carl Garner for a geotechnical survey of the soil and all the samples taken were fine.

      "It's bad to hear about this where it takes additional money," Alderman Dale Brewer said. "It's good to hear about it before construction. It would be more expensive then."

      Lane said that raising the entire project would help with drainage on the new street that will be built with the project.

      Alderman Steve Sterling asked for further explanation as to why the soil under the parking lot is not good for building.

      "It won't hold [the parking lot] up," Lane said. "It's a silt material that is very, very compressible. You cannot get it to compact so it's always going to shift and move. It's worse than sand."

      The pool complex itself already has been staked out and that will have to be redone in order to raise the area.

      "I think when it's all said and done and it's up 2 feet higher, it's going to look a lot better," Alderman Don Raney said.

      The Searcy City Council approved a $4,954,000 bid from Hydco in a special meeting in May for the construction of the pool. (Cost and fees push the total projected cost to $5,783,260.56, around $600,000 over budget before Friday's change order.)