Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Playgrounds topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Play structure repaired quickly; grass work at Capuano Early Education Center likely temporary before May 3 celebration
Summary
DPW said a damaged play structure at Capuano Early Education Center will be repaired within days and that planting new sod is unlikely to root before the school's May 3 family day; officials will meet the principal to choose temporary fixes.
Commissioner Joe Lathan of the Department of Public Works told the joint committee that a damaged piece of playground equipment at the Capuano Early Education Center has a replacement part on order and will be repaired in a brief, on‑site operation this week.
"We're just waiting for a part to come in. That has come in, we're planning to get that repaired this Wednesday. It should take maybe 30 minutes to get this fixed and new part put in," Commissioner Lathan said.
On a related request that DPW install natural turf in a muddy area used for spectator viewing, Lathan said reseeding or laying sod is not likely to produce rooted grass by the school's May 3 twentieth‑anniversary Family Fun Day. "There's no way it's gonna be reseed and grown by May 3," he said, and recommended meeting with the principal to assess interim options. He suggested temporary, cosmetic measures for the event—such as mulch or other short‑term surface treatments—and said the department will return with a plan for long‑term remediation.
School committee members urged a short‑term fix to avoid presenting a mud pit to families celebrating the school's anniversary. "They don't wanna have a mud pit," Dr. Phillips said, asking DPW to prioritize an appearance‑based mitigation for the event while pursuing proper long‑term planting.
Ending
The committee agreed there was no objection to DPW moving forward with the quick playground repair and to meeting with school leadership to select a practical temporary treatment for the muddy area ahead of the May 3 celebration. DPW noted that any permanent re‑sodding or reseeding will require taking the area out of use to allow proper rooting and therefore cannot be completed before May 3.
