Highlands board boosts all‑accessible playground pledge by $50,000, raising town share to $300,000

The Highlands Town Board of Commissioners voted July 17 to increase the town’s pledge for a new all‑accessible playground by $50,000, bringing the town contribution to $300,000.

Commissioner Steven, who led the fundraising effort, told the board the project already has $752,131.10 in private donations, a $250,000 town pledge and $400,000 from Macon County, and that he had secured additional local matching donations. “What I’m asking for the town board to consider is another $50,000 contribution to the playground,” he said during the meeting. The board approved the increase by voice vote.

Why it matters: Town and county funding plus private donations are intended to cover site work, equipment and subsequent soft costs (for example fencing). Commissioners and staff said they want to begin site preparation and place equipment orders this fall if fundraising and contracting proceed as planned.

Details: Commissioner Steven said a local individual has offered a $50,000 matching grant and another donor pledged $10,000; together with the requested town increase those additions would substantially close the remaining funding gap. He said the project team’s target funding threshold for starting site prep and ordering equipment is roughly $1.45 million (the group would prefer $1.6 million to fully cover all costs). Staff said even after the town’s additional $50,000 the project will still need about $100,000–$140,000 in fundraising to reach the most comfortable funding level.

Procurement and timeline: Town staff said the three playground vendors under consideration hold state contract status, which allows the town to negotiate under an existing state contract rather than run a standard competitive bid that would compare proprietary systems. Town manager Josh Ward told the board the procurement path means the town can proceed by selecting a state‑contracted vendor and negotiating a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). Commissioners said they expect to share vendor proposals at the August meeting and, if funding allows, to begin site preparation and equipment ordering in the fall with a possible Memorial Day 2026 opening.

Budget and next steps: Board members noted a formal budget amendment will be required to move the additional $50,000 from town reserves into the playground account. Commissioners emphasized continued community fundraising will be necessary. The board’s vote to increase the pledge passed by voice vote with all commissioners present signaling approval.

Ending: Officials asked residents and businesses that have not yet contributed to continue fundraising efforts and said staff will bring procurement details and budget amendments to the next regular meeting.