MILTON — The long awaited splash pad project at Carpenters Park is back in front of the City Council for discussion a year after it was put on hold – with a $50,000 increase in price.
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Not all council member had been able to study the new bid due to the holiday schedule. It was decided that members with questions would meet with Jorgenson individually.
“The splash pad is a want, the (wastewater) treatment plant is a need,” said council member Sharon Holley.
Holley was concerned about entertaining the splash pad project at this time when the city needs funding for a new treatment plant. In addition, she brought up that the new bid had not been vetted through the Committee of the Whole.
Holley said the splash pad “would be a good thing for our community,” but wanted to assure city residents the council was following proper procedures.
Since last year, the city has obtained grants and transferred funds from last year’s budget totaling $450,000 of the $700,000 the splash pad project will cost, a cost that has increased by about $50,000 in the past year, said City Manager Randy Jorgenson. The additional $250,000 will come from Local Option Sales Tax revenue, according to Jorgenson.
Councilman Casey Powell added that LOST funds could not be used for the treatment plant.
Councilman Jeff Snow pointed out the city has obtained $25 million of the $30 million needed for the treatment plant and the splash pad should not be delayed more than it has been.
The splash pad has been talked about for years. The council approved a request for a new bid and Jorgenson negotiated a bid with a timetable for project completion of Memorial Day 2020.
Because of the holidays, the Committee of the Whole Council meeting was canceled last month. That meeting is where the specifics of the new bid would have been discussed and the bid vetted.
The city plans to have council members briefed by next week’s City Council meeting and list the bid as an actionable item on the agenda, meaning they could vote on the project.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosas Press Gazette: Carpenter Park splash pad up for approval soon by Milton City Council