Agenda - Council - 08/10/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2.03: Wage Theft & Project Labor Requirements Council consensus was to postpone discussion of this item to the next work session meeting. 2.04: Waterfront Park Park and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood introduced a discussion on Waterfront Park safety improvements, explaining that staff was providing an update on actions taken to address unsanctioned swimming and reviewing potential long-term measures to discourage visitors from entering the stormwater pond and other non -designated swimming areas. Following the previous work session, staff installed additional no -swimming signs around the park, both ponds, picnic tables, and the restroom, erected temporary orange safety fencing around the stormwater pond and access points to the larger pond, and increased monitoring by City staff, police officers, community service officers, and firefighters. He reported that since those measures were implemented, staff had not observed anyone entering the restricted pond areas while personnel were present. Park and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood also presented several permanent improvement options, including decorative fencing, cable fencing, landscaping with riprap, and split -rail fencing, with estimated costs ranging from approximately $23,000 to $692,000. Staff identified a 42-inch cable fence around the stormwater pond and portions of the larger pond as the preferred long-term solution because it would improve safety while preserving views of the water. Park and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood also presented a proposal to expand the bistro -style seating area near the splash pad by extending the existing decorative fence and adding shaded tables to encourage visitors to gather in designated areas rather than near the pond. The improvement was estimated to cost approximately $50,000 and, when combined with the recommended cable fencing, represented staffs preferred construction concept. He also outlined the potential addition of a seasonal park safety and maintenance attendant who would work from mid -May through September at an estimated annual cost of about $20,000. The employee would monitor compliance with park rules, collect litter, interact with visitors, observe park conditions, and report safety concerns, while allowing higher -paid City staff to spend less time on routine park monitoring and maintenance Mayor Heineman asked how long the new signs had been installed and whether swimming continued after their installation. Park and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood responded that no additional incidents had been observed, although City personnel had maintained significant coverage during park hours. Mayor Heineman questioned whether the City should immediately spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on permanent fencing before determining whether the signs and public education were sufficient. He observed that the orange snow fencing was not an attractive long-term solution but believed the City should test how visitors responded once the temporary barrier was removed. City Council Work Session / July 28, 2026 Page 7 of 12