On these hot, humid, sultry days a dip in the backyard pool would surely hit the spot. If you are fortunate enough to have a pool in your backyard, that is. And sometimes that pool is a mixed blessing, depending on how many neighbor kids are in your pool and how loud and messy they are at the time. Pools seem to attract children like few other things do.

That’s one of the reasons for City of Alliance Ordinance 1155.08 (c). The ordinance states, "The swimming pool or the entire property on which it is located shall be so walled or fenced so as to prevent uncontrolled access by children from the street or from adjacent properties. Such fence or wall to be not less then four feet in height and maintained in good condition, with a gate and lock." If you have an above-ground pool, the sidewalls of the pool do not count as "fencing", even if they are four feet high. You must have an additional fence around the perimeter of the pool. You just can’t be too careful when it comes to kids and water.

If you still want to build a pool on your property, even considering the neighbor kids and the noise, you need to make application with the city’s building department. The application fee is fifteen dollars for a residential pool and twenty-five dollars for a commercial one. The actual building permit fee is five dollars per thousand, based on the value of the pool, the fence and other improvements you make to the surrounding area.

Before you decide to build that pool, you might want to check with your homeowners insurance to see if any additional liability insurance is necessary. Another thought comes from Ohio Edison and is something some of us might not think of when considering a pool.

Look up above your pool area. What do you see? Electric lines? What if one of those lines falls in your pool? Of course it doesn’t happen very often. Maybe it has never happened before in the history of mankind. But do you want to be the first? The test case, so to speak? Ohio Edison tells us you can’t put any body of water under an electric line without adhering to certain clearances. If you want to see the drawing they gave the city which explains the minimum clearances necessary, just stop by the building department at 504 E. Main and ask for Bill Hawley, the Zoning Inspector.

Currently, the city does routine drive-by inspections of pools in the city. Sometimes neighbors call and complain about the lack of fencing or a missing lock on the gate. Either way, notification will be issued to bring the pool up to code, with the threat of court action.

The important point here is the safety of children. Sure, the city has some rules and regulations that don’t make much sense to anyone. But in this case the rules and regulations are for the protection of the little ones who depend on us to look out for them. You will never be sorry that you took that extra minute to lock the gate.