Optimist Club president asks trustees to restore Buena Vista splash park hours amid water-conservation squeeze

Dr. Eric Gibb, president of the Buena Vista Optimist Club, asked the Town of Buena Vista Board of Trustees on July 8 to address reduced operating hours at the town splash park and to explain how much water the feature uses.

Gibb told the trustees the Optimist Club helped secure the land and raised funds to build the splash park and said the park is a “focus of attention and pride in the community.” He said it appeared to be running less frequently this year and offered volunteer or financial help: “If it's a matter of a mechanical thing that's not a budgetary item, the optimist would be obviously willing to donate whatever money is necessary to get it to work.”

Public works staff responded that the splash park’s limited operation reflected water-availability concerns while the town’s water-treatment improvements remain in their final stages and that staff had posted signage describing a new schedule. Public works told the board staff had decided to operate the splash park for a limited period — initially noon to 2 p.m. each day — and added a QR code on site linking to water-conservation information and restrictions.

Gibb and trustees discussed other large water uses in town and asked staff to discuss options with community stakeholders. Following the public comment, trustees asked staff to reach back to the Optimist Club for input on a possible modified schedule or volunteer/financial assistance and to evaluate whether mechanical fixes or schedule changes could increase hours while conserving water.