McLeod County approves ARPA-funded playgrounds, demolitions and disc-golf equipment at county parks

McLeod County commissioners on June 17 approved several park improvement projects paid for with American Rescue Plan Act funds, including two new playground installations, the demolition of two park houses and the purchase of equipment for a disc-golf course.

County staff presented bids showing Weber Recreational Design Inc. of Hastings, Minnesota, was the low bidder for playground installations at Lake Marion Park ($146,305) and Pittenberg Park ($154,218). A staff member said playgrounds were identified as priorities in the county parks plan and that the county would perform site preparation.

"As outlined in the parks plan, playgrounds were identified as priority priorities in all six county parks," the staff member said. "Lake Marion Park is one of the county’s most frequently visited parks and also contains a campground, so staff identified it as a priority for a full-ground installation."

The board approved the Weber Recreational Design quotes. A second quote for each park from Bolland Recreation Inc. was higher: $163,740 for Lake Marion and roughly $163,740 for Pittenberg, according to the packet.

Commissioners also approved demolition contracts for two park houses. R and R Excavating of Hutchinson was awarded the Lake Marion Park house demolition contract at $10,098 after the county said no relocation bids were received and that continued maintenance made retention cost-prohibitive. For Pittenberg Park, the board approved a $14,654 bid for demolition; multiple higher bids were listed in the packet.

A staff member confirmed asbestos inspections and testing were performed and that samples showed no asbestos present. When asked whether basements or holes would be restored to grade after demolition, the staff member replied, "Yep. So they backfill everything."

The board also approved the purchase of 19 disc-golf baskets from Inovagis Golf of Rock Hill, South Carolina, at $8,556.20 for the Lake Marion Park course. County staff said volunteers from the Little Crow Disc Golf Club helped design the 18-hole layout and clear brush; next steps include obtaining quotes for concrete tee pads, signage and trash receptacles. Benches and some public-use discs were funded by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health’s Statewide Health Improvement Partnership.

All votes on the park items were recorded as motions that carried after staff presentations; individual roll-call tallies were not read into the record.

Why it matters: The board used federal ARPA funds to invest in park infrastructure that staff described as priorities in the county parks plan. The actions remove deteriorating structures that staff said posed maintenance and safety liabilities while adding recreational assets the county and volunteers planned to support.

The board did not set specific installation timelines during the meeting. Staff said site-prep would be performed by county crews and that additional contracts for pad installation and signage would be sought in follow-up procurement.