Committee approves replacement of faded Adirondack chairs at RiverLife; staff to seek color and warranty options

The City of Wausau Parks and Recreation Committee on Oct. 6 approved purchasing replacement Adirondack chairs for the RiverLife area and directed staff to avoid bright red colors that quickly fade.

Jamie, the parks director, told the committee staff had tried sanding, repainting and heat-gun treatments on the existing chairs without success. The packet included sample chairs from commercial vendors made of recycled plastic that were roughly $500 each. "We do have money in our small project fund where we could replace these," Jamie said, noting staff would seek multiple bids and test darker and lighter colors for heat and fading concerns.

Alder Neal moved to approve purchasing replacements and asked whether a darker color would become too hot in the sun. Jamie said staff would test samples and check vendor recommendations. When asked about warranty, Jamie said the vendor in the packet offered a five-year commercial warranty for that product and that the proposed chairs are the same material as the existing ones but in different colors.

Committee members debated color and resale. Some members recommended light earth tones or light gray to limit heat and visible fading; one member noted white can show dirt and yellowing over time. The department will follow procurement rules for surplus property if the old chairs are sold; proceeds would offset the replacement cost.

Motion and outcome: Alder Neal moved to purchase replacements; Alder Watson seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Next steps: Parks staff will issue requests for proposals, test color and heat characteristics, confirm warranty and maintenance recommendations from manufacturers, and pursue surplus sale options for the faded chairs to partially offset the purchase cost.