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Commission debates computerized vs. timer-controlled splash pad as LFM Park bids remain open
Summary
Commissioners discussed differences between timer-driven and computer-operated splash pads while bids for the LFM Park project remain open; commissioners asked staff to wait for bid results before deciding on equipment specs and possible cost-savings.
Commissioners discussed options for the planned splash pad at LFM Park during the meeting, asking staff to await returned bids before selecting between a computerized system and a simpler timer-driven system.
City Manager Mark Westhoff told the commission that LFM Park grant bids are open until Feb. 11 and that bid information is available on the city's website and from Snyder Engineering. "They're due... and it's open until the eleventh," Westhoff said.
Several commissioners questioned whether the plans and bid specifications would allow bidders to propose a timer-operated splash pad instead of a computerized system and noted substantial cost differences in examples they cited. One commissioner asked whether a timer-driven option remained "open to looking at" and whether it would be considered equivalent for grant specifications. A different commissioner said many commercial splash-pad companies "have a computerized way to operate it," and another said a computerized system had cost the city $70,000 to replace in a previous instance.
Commission discussion included comparisons to smaller splash pads and to a local country-club project that commissioners said combined a pool and a splash pad at a lower cost; the commissioners acknowledged differences in scale and surface-mounted features on the LFM Park design that could affect price and bids.
Commissioners directed staff to wait for completed bids and then evaluate feasibility and quality against grant specifications: "I would suggest we need to wait and get the numbers back and see... if it's not feasible, we gotta go back to go," one commissioner said. Westhoff reiterated that alternatives could be considered provided they meet grant specifications and are submitted in bidders' proposals.
No final decision on splash pad equipment or an award was made at the meeting; commissioners agreed to review returned bids and decide in a future action when more price information is available.
