Council approves $249,250 contract to replace Antioch Waterpark public address system; councilors seek wider CIP review

Lede: Antioch city council on Aug. 26 authorized a contract, not to exceed $249,250, with Quality Sound to replace the public address system at the Antioch Waterpark (Pruitt Park), a procurement staff described as addressing safety and operational needs. Nut graf: The item prompted questions from council and the public about long‑term funding and capital planning for the waterpark; staff said the contract is funded from a Pruitt Park CIP account that received a general‑fund transfer and described the PA upgrade as necessary for crowd safety and event management. Body: Public commenter Andrew Becker urged the council to disclose how the waterpark’s capital program is funded and whether the PA replacement had been included in the adopted CIP; Becker described the waterpark as seeing repeated, large unbudgeted projects and asked for a five‑year capital plan. City staff said the PA system had failed during recent events and that the replacement is a safety and operational need — the park can host large audiences and reliable public address capability is important for crowd management and emergencies. Staff said funding is available in the Pruitt Park CIP after a prior transfer from the general fund and that the RFQ process identified Quality Sound for the work. The city manager confirmed the replacement was not in the prior CIP when adopted but that the CIP fund had resources available for such repairs and improvements. Action: Council approved the Quality Sound contract 4–0 (Council member Wilson absent). Several council members asked staff to return with a comprehensive five‑year capital program for the waterpark so the council and public can see projected needs and funding requirements. Ending: Staff said it will execute the contract and begin the PA replacement work; council members asked for a broader capital‑planning discussion for the waterpark at a later meeting.