Council debates Fountain Square fountain replacement and options to reduce park capital backlog
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Summary
As the council reviewed FY2026 capital requests, engineers and parks staff described a $2.5 million budget line for Fountain Square fountain design and discussed prioritizing playground renovations versus converting underused playgrounds to green space to manage limited capital dollars.
Council members and staff spent a substantial portion of the Nov. 3 meeting discussing parks capital needs and a proposed Fountain Square fountain replacement.
Project summary and funding City engineer Laura Biggs said the request for Fountain Square currently shows $2.5 million in the FY2026 budget plan, with $900,000 from a settlement, $1.1 million rolled from 2025 bonds and $600,000 in 2026 bonds. The City has advertised a design-build request for proposals for the fountain; proposals were due the day after the meeting, and staff said proposals will inform final cost and schedule. Biggs said construction could begin in fall 2026 if a contractor begins work in 2026.
Parks backlog and equity-driven prioritization Parks Director Audrey Thompson and City Engineer Laura Biggs both described a decade-plus backlog on many playgrounds and park amenities. Thompson said one immediate request is to expand care-team staffing and that many playgrounds are approaching end of life. Biggs said some small neighborhood playgrounds are clustered geographically; her "recommendation for many of the playgrounds would be that once they reach their useful life... we do not replace them and that we return those spaces to green space," a shift staff said would be guided by an equity analysis and proximity to other parks.
Council concerns and trade-offs Council members expressed concern about spending $2.5 million downtown while many neighborhood playgrounds need basic equipment replacement. "We've lived without that fountain for six years," Council member Ailes said, and several council members asked whether a lower-cost alternative could achieve economic or placemaking goals without the proposed budget. Staff said past choices and settlement funding influenced the fountain timeline and emphasized that playground decisions would be surgical, informed by data on proximity and neighborhood needs.
Next steps Staff said the RFP responses would provide clearer cost options for the fountain and that the parks and recreation board will continue to examine playground-replacement standards and procurement requirements to seek cost efficiencies. Council members asked for options that reduce per-playground replacement costs and for clearer reserve and capital policies tied to the proposed new parks fund.