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Parks seeks $275,000 from CIE to replace Tyus Park all‑access playground; requests sole‑source award to Bliss/PlayCore
Summary
Parks staff asked the board to approve CIE funds and a sole‑source purchase from Bliss/PlayCore to replace a 21‑year‑old all‑access play structure at Tyus Park; staff said the site was designed as a national demonstration site and the quoted cost is about $275,000, lower than the $350,000 budgeted.
The Spalding County parks director requested board approval to use Capital Improvement and Enhancement (CIE) funds to replace the all‑access playground at Tyus Park and to approve a sole‑source contract with Bliss/PlayCore as the authorized distributor.
Director Amberg said the existing playground, installed in 2004 with outside grant support, is closed for safety reasons because safety surfacing has become uneven and created trip hazards. The proposed replacement maintains an inclusive layout designed for both children and adults with mobility limitations and adds accessible play components — the design aims to meet PlayCore’s seven principles of inclusive play and to register the site as a national demonstration site, which would allow the county to gather user feedback via QR surveys.
Parks staff said they used the PCA cooperative contract pricing and asked for a sole‑source purchase because the county already has 11 structures from the same distributor and parts are not interchangeable across manufacturers. The negotiated quote is about $275,000, below the $350,000 the county had budgeted. Staff said they followed the new county procurement policy, posted the sole‑source notice to Georgia procurement, and secured federal purchasing certifications and supporting documentation from the vendor.
Commissioners asked about opportunities to seek donated or sponsored funds from local industry for future park projects; staff agreed to pursue corporate sponsorships for other CIE projects. The board did not vote immediately but staff asked for approval to proceed with the sole‑source contract consistent with the county’s procurement policy and available CIE funds.
No formal contract award was recorded at the workshop; staff said the Georgia procurement posting for objection closes April 11 and that they would return with final contract documents for the board’s action.
