Minutes - Council - 01/28/2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilmember Specht asked how new the artificial turf landscaping is and if it will be durable. Parks and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood explained that they toured a park in Brooklyn Park that has artificial turf which has been in use for 12 years and is holding up well. He added that Brooklyn Park maintenance staff has not reported any issues or concerns. Councilmember Peters asked if they will be keeping replacement parts in stock at Public Works for quick fixes if needed. Parks and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood shared that the playground equipment comes with a maintenance kit that has touchup paint and fixtures. He noted they would not stock larger replacement parts as they do not know what pieces will be needed. He shared that parts for the equipment will be available for around 15 years and common parts are available beyond this. Councilmember Specht asked if they are using this much park funding this year if it will affect their ability to renovate and replace other parks next year. Parks and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood stated they originally looked at putting a pause on the parks scheduled for replacement in 2026; however, in looking at the cash flows, they will likely still have enough funding next year for a neighborhood park as it will be smaller. He added that there likely will not be a request for the $25,000 that the City had been contributing to Youth First, which will be funding that can go towards the parks. Councilmember Riley noted that this is not coming out of the general fund. He added that he is pleased to see that they will have new boulders as they get a lot of use. Parks and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood shared that around 30% of the play at this playground is from children hopping from boulder to boulder. He added that this project provides for a 4%-7% discount off of the list cost because of the State contract and the equipment is available at the warehouse in Wisconsin today and they will not have to wait for the manufacturing of the equipment. Councilmember Specht asked if this project would interfere with any other projects, like a splash pad, that they have been discussing to use park dedication funds for. Parks and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood explained that the present balance in the park trust fund is around $5,000,000 and they are continuing to bring in more funds with development in the COR so this project will use a small amount of those funds. Mayor Heineman asked if there is a warranty on the turf and if it is UV-resistant. He asked what the digging play equipment will be used for. Parks and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood stated the digging area will have washed sand that the children can play in that will be split off from the rest of the park by boulders. He noted that there is a two-year warranty of the installation of the turf,however, even after this point, the installers have stood behind their products for others who have used their turf. City Council/January 28, 2025 Page 5 of 8