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Council approves shade sails and poles for new accessibility playground after debate on cost and maintenance
Summary
The Middleton City Council authorized a contract amendment to add shade sails and poles to an accessibility playground, approving the full sail option at a cost not to exceed $89,072.06 and citing impact-fee funding and a May installation target.
The Middleton City Council on March 5 authorized the mayor to amend the city’s previously approved contract with Garrett Parks and Play to add shade sails and poles at the new accessibility playground, approving the full shade-sail option in an amount not to exceed $89,072.06.
Staff told the council the playground has a $200,000 budget funded by impact fees and is on track for a May opening; the full shade-sail option would increase project cost by about $6,000 above that budget. Miss Hobbs, presenting the selection of options, said the city had considered three approaches: a full shade-sail installation (five poles and three sails, about $89,072.06), installing the structural poles now so sails could be added later, and a lower-cost ornamental-pole option costing roughly $8,000.
Council members discussed durability, maintenance and whether staffs’ crews could reasonably install and remove sails seasonally. Public Works Director Jason Mangellar warned the council that splitting projects into smaller purchases to avoid higher procurement thresholds can be considered bid splitting and is generally disfavored by auditors and legal counsel. He also described typical projects such as lift-station work and meter purchases that the proposed purchasing-policy changes would cover.
Several council members emphasized shade as a functional need for young children and users of the special-needs playground. Council members asked staff to be mindful of recurring maintenance costs (estimates discussed in the meeting ranged from about $3,500 per replacement sail and a replacement cycle every five to seven years if sails remain up year-round) and to budget for future replacement.
After discussion the council approved the full shade-sail option, with Miss Hobbs and Parks staff indicating they would order materials and aim to have poles installed before surfacing the rubberized bark so the playground installation aligns with a planned May opening. Council members also asked staff to include future maintenance costs in the parks budget and to confirm lead times with the vendor before finalizing orders.
Quote: “Even if it’s a five-year expense, you’re talking about a special-needs playground. Why wouldn’t we shade it?” Council member (unnamed in transcript) said during the debate.
The council recorded the action as an authorization for the mayor to amend the existing contract, amount not to exceed $89,072.06; the motion carried by voice vote.
