Springville city officials have some ideas about what the community needs, but that doesn't mean they're not looking for more input.

The city has organized an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. May 9 at City Hall. Ideas for new facilities such as a library, swimming pool and public safety building will be on display, and residents can tell the city what they think Springville needs.

"We're trying to share a little bit of our concept but we're also trying to capture their concept and their take on it," said Mayor Gene Mangum. "We want to make sure we get a good read from the folks throughout the city as to what it is that they'd like to do.

"Basically it's just kind of a fact-finding mission on our part."

Requests by citizens for new facilities are increasing and the loudest voices are clamoring for a new library and swimming pool. The city will have tables set up at the open house for those facilities where people can see conceptual plans, get information and give their opinions.

The city has plans, but nothing is set in stone yet.

"Everything at this point is purely concept -- nothing at all that can't be altered or that can't be canceled even," Mangum said.

At its last meeting, the City Council voted to create an ad hoc committee to explore the possibilities for a new pool. The committee will be made up of residents, council members, board members and even representatives of organizations that use the pool frequently.

At one of its next meetings, the council is planning to create a similar committee for a new library, according to Councilman Ben Jolley.

"We want to make sure people that are using it regularly have a say in what's happening," Jolley said.

Public opinion may be leaning toward a library, pool or recreation center, but for many city officials, Springville's biggest need is a public safety building to house the police and fire departments. The existing 40-year-old building is small, leaving officers and other police department personnel cramped.

Mangum said he hopes to create a full-time fire department in Springville to replace the volunteer department it has now, and that new department would need additional space.

"The facilities we've got are really inadequate for the job that needs to be done. We're a growing community and we need to have a facility that will grow with it," he said.

The city has a location for the new public safety buildings -- across from City Hall -- and a set of proposed floorplans, though there are no plans for what the building's exterior would look like. Mangum hopes the city can start working on the public safety buildings in the fall, but there are no concrete plans.

Jolley emphasized that building the hoped-for facilities will be a long-range process.

"This is going to be a step-by-step process," he said. "We're not going to break ground and build all of these facilities all at the same time. We're going to phase it so that it has the least amount of impact on the community as a whole."

Jeremy Duda can be reached at 344-2561 or jduda@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.