Commission hears Neighborhood Improvement Team pilot and detailed splash pad study; staff to return with comprehensive plans

City staff introduced a Neighborhood Improvement Team (NIT) as a resident-driven, cross-departmental strategy to focus investment in a pilot area on Palatka's North Side and asked the commission to endorse next steps.

The staff presenter, representing the department of recreation and cultural community affairs, said the team will be resident-led with city staff and local stakeholders participating. The first designated pilot area is the North Side, described in materials included with the commission packet as roughly bounded from North Fifth Street to North 24th Street, Reed Street north to Wapolok Street. Staff said the NIT will use mapping (GIS), a citizen satisfaction survey and tools such as TextMyGov to prioritize infrastructure, safety and programming.

Kristen Odom, the city's recreation and cultural affairs coordinator, presented results from a two-week public survey and said nearly 70% of respondents "said that they were interested" in a riverfront splash pad; 47.5% of respondents said they would use it "frequently." Odom summarized the top requested features as shaded seating, water-play features for all ages and safety-focused design elements.

City staff and public-works representatives described four potential splash-pad locations the feasibility work had considered: two sites inside Riverfront Park (one adjacent to the playground and the Boathouse Marina), Booker Park (which already has restrooms on site), and the lawn beside the Tillman House. A feasibility study completed for the riverfront site found zoning, nearby utilities and space were appropriate, but staff said additional permitting will be required, including from the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Public comments and several commissioners raised concerns about: homelessness at the riverfront, parking and event conflicts (boating and fishing tournaments), restroom access and maintenance costs. City staff and public-works staff gave figures to illustrate ongoing costs: about $6,400 per year for contracted chemical checks and cleaning, and roughly $100 per day in water usage during the typical operating season described (staff noted operation is likely to be seasonal and that staff could run features only as needed to reduce costs). Staff also said restrooms must be within 200 feet of the splash pad for code/feasibility purposes.

Allegory Kitchens, a public commenter, asked for corrected legal descriptions before any city easement or site work and urged caution about riverfront siting; another resident, Yvette Jones, recommended design and operational features to discourage loitering and suggested including attendants or cameras to improve safety.

Commissioners asked staff to return with a comparative package: detailed cost estimates for construction and ongoing maintenance, design concepts for each candidate site, permit requirements and a proposal for county partnership or use of existing county facilities. Commissioners did not finalize a site or vote to build; staff said a feasibility study had shown a riverfront site could work, but the commission directed staff to expand the study to the other candidate sites and come back with comprehensive plans that address design, maintenance, safety and county contracts or Boathouse Marina agreements.

Ending: Staff will expand the feasibility study, provide design and lifecycle cost estimates for the candidate sites, and report back on any required amendments to existing contracts (including the Boathouse Marina agreement) and on potential county partnerships.