Waukesha board approves Minaka Park playground purchase with added shade and enclosed tower

The Waukesha City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board on June 16 approved the purchase of playground equipment for Minaka Park, asking designers to add a shade canopy and increase enclosure on the back tower while keeping the project within the board’s $235,000 capital-improvement budget.

The purchase price for equipment is $117,719, Parks staff said during the meeting; surfacing and site work will be bid separately. The board’s vote to approve the equipment purchase with the specified design changes was moved by Jennifer Wallner and seconded by Alderman Camacho. The motion passed unanimously.

Melissa Lipska, Parks and Forestry Operations Manager, told the board the design draws on input gathered at a recent public meeting and that the layout increases accessible components such as an ADA-friendly climber, adaptive swings, musical play instruments and a poured-in-place safety surface. “We did have a public input meeting information meeting last week,” Lipska said, noting families participated and that the updated color renderings are more vibrant than earlier versions. She said the proposed playground will be larger than the existing Minaka playground — roughly 4,000 square feet compared with about 3,000 square feet now — and will pull the play area slightly away from the tree line to improve drainage.

Alderman Wells pushed for design revisions to give the play area a clearer theme and more cohesive tower features. “If we’re going to spend this kind of money on one park for this year, we’re going to do one park that we really need to be looking for the best possible playground we can get for our money,” Wells said, urging additions that emulate features residents favored in an earlier concept. Board members ultimately asked Lee Recreation and the equipment vendor (Burke brand equipment) to revise the design to add the shade canopy and more enclosure on the back side of the main tower.

Staff presented a project-level budget breakdown: roughly 40%–45% of the $235,000 CIP allocation is expected for equipment, about 40% for surfacing, and the remainder for site work and incidentals. Staff said the equipment price of $117,719 is within the planned budget but currently represents a slightly higher equipment share because the pour-in-place surfacing is out to bid. The board discussed a $6,000 community-build supervision option; Lipska said the city has used that model successfully in prior projects and would include it in the plan.

Lipska said the equipment purchase will be procured through Sourcewell cooperative purchasing and therefore does not require City Council approval; the pour-in-place surfacing will go to the Board of Public Works (estimated August 5). She told the board she expects revised designs back from Lee Recreation within a few days: “I would be surprised if I don’t have something by Wednesday, Thursday at the latest.”

The board’s action authorized staff to finalize the equipment purchase with the requested design revisions and to proceed with surfacing bids and site work under the existing CIP allocation. The motion was recorded as moved by Jennifer Wallner and seconded by Alderman Camacho, and the board voted aye unanimously.

Next steps: staff will ask Lee Recreation and the vendor to provide revised drawings reflecting the added shade canopy and tower enclosure, complete the surfacing bid process, and coordinate site work with Public Works before installation.