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La Plata council approves $835,000 playground contract, authorizes budget reappropriation
Summary
The La Plata Town Council adopted a resolution authorizing a $834,889.38 contract with Bliss Products and Services Inc. for a new Wills Memorial Park playground and approved a required reappropriation of roughly $434,889 from fund balance to cover the shortfall after bids exceeded the original $400,000 appropriation.
La Plata — The Town Council on Jan. 27 adopted a resolution authorizing the town manager to sign a contract with Bliss Products and Services Inc. to replace the playground at Wills Memorial Park, approving a contract price of $834,889.38 and a capital budget adjustment to cover the difference.
Town Manager Chuck Stevens told the council seven proposals were received after an RFP issued Nov. 7, 2025, and staff selected Bliss based on qualifications, design, pricing and the vendor's proposed completion plan. Stevens said the FY 2026 capital budget had originally appropriated $400,000 for the project but average bid estimates came in at roughly $769,000 and the awarded contract totaled $834,889.38.
Stevens described the options if the council declined the current award: rescope and re-bid the project to reduce cost or delay construction, but he warned that postponing a decision into March would likely push completion into the fall and forfeit summer access for residents. "I do think that there is a sense of urgency here," Stevens said, noting that rescoping may not close the gap because bids were substantially above the original estimate.
Town Treasurer Ms. Larson told the council there are assigned project reserves that originated from funds previously labeled as ARPA but reallocated to salaries; using those assigned funds would require council consensus and a formal budget amendment. The staff recommendation called for reappropriating approximately $434,889–$434,890 from the general/unassigned fund balance to fully fund the project.
Council members questioned long-term maintenance and the potential to phase the project. Mayor James and multiple councilmembers expressed support for moving forward so the playground could be completed this year. The council moved and seconded the resolution at the meeting and adopted it by voice vote.
The resolution authorizes the town manager to execute the contract and the listed CIP budget adjustment; the staff packet notes that if the parks department ends the fiscal year with a deficit, a budget amendment would be required to reconcile accounts. Construction timeline and final funding-source decisions will be handled as staff returns with the formal budget amendment and contract documents.
What happens next: The resolution authorizes the manager to enter the contract; staff said they will prepare the formal budget amendment and contract paperwork for execution and will return to council with any additional details related to funding sources and project phasing.
