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Board reviews childcare playground plans as county committee offers $10,000 contribution
Summary
Board members discussed placement, cost and safety for a new playground at a planned childcare facility; county property committee prefers an alternate site that could raise costs by about $20,000, and the committee voted to support alternate plans and contribute $10,000 toward the work.
District staff updated the Rice Lake Area School District board about plans to convert the student center building into a childcare facility and to install an adjacent playground, and described a dispute with the county property committee over exact playground placement.
District staff said moving the playground to the county’s preferred location would increase project costs by about $20,000 because of excavation and slope work. A district summary of the property committee meeting said the committee voted to support either alternate playground plan and to "contribute $10,000 towards it," a committee-level action reported to the board.
Board members questioned the trade-offs. Some members argued the original plan offered better sight lines from the building and easier supervision; others said tucking the playground between buildings would reduce visual impact on a nearby trail but raised safety and slope concerns. One board member noted accessibility requirements and a maximum 1% slope for equipment platforms, saying contractors have refused sites that exceed that limit.
District staff described several site options the committee and staff had measured, including placing the playground nearer the library, on a flatter front lawn, or farther away where former tennis courts exist. Staff warned that buried utilities, a nearby hydrant and fiber lines constrain options. The board and staff discussed timing: playground equipment has been ordered and installers have a winter/frost schedule; delaying installation until spring could be required if excavation cannot be completed before frost.
No final board vote was taken. The board provided guidance to staff to continue negotiating with the county property committee to reach a location that balances visibility, cost and safety while pursuing the project under the reported time constraints.
