Councilors asked staff to pause a planned motion to award a contract for engineering services to design park signage, raising concerns about cost, budget timing and whether the work could be done in-house.

An alderman whose turn included item 13 said the city budgeted $195,000 for the park-signs program but that the design portion appears large relative to that overall figure. He noted the design line was shown as $62,000, that only $30,000 appears budgeted in 2026 and said, "I can't believe that we don't... we can do that in house," arguing the city should avoid spending ahead of budget appropriations and asking that the item be tabled so staff can do more diligence.

Nicole and staff responded that Director Dyson had indicated the funding delta was intended to be paid from park-development funds, and staff offered to review whether in-house resources could perform the design work or, if council prefers, to postpone the item and return with additional information. Alderwoman Newton and Alderwoman Burkholder echoed the call for further review, adding concerns about contract liability limits and ensuring contractor vehicles and equipment are clearly identified in work zones.

Councilors asked that staff check procurement and contract language, including any limited-liability provisions, and report back before a final vote. No formal motion or vote on the contract was recorded at this meeting; multiple council members said they would prefer postponement so staff can provide more detail on costs, funding sources, and liability language.

Next steps: staff will follow up with a procurement check on the contract language, confirm which funds would cover any delta (park development was cited), and return to council with options, including a proposal to postpone item 13.