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Bluff council awards playground contract to Garrett Parks and Play, committee to return final costs
Summary
The Bluff Town Council authorized awarding a playground and sport‑court contract to Garrett Parks and Play and directed the playground advisory committee to negotiate final details and report back with a final price; the project is backed by a $165,000 grant plus a $13,000 town match, with the committee expected to reduce the bid to fit funding.
The Bluff Town Council voted Aug. 19 to award a contract for a new playground and adjacent sport court at the Bluff Community Center to Garrett Parks and Play, subject to the playground advisory committee returning with final negotiated costs.
Malia Collins, who presented the committee’s recommendation, said the company submitted multiple package options and that the committee preferred ‘‘Option 1’’ with some equipment substitutions and surface changes. Collins said Garrett’s bid was presented in the meeting as $189,535 but that the committee expects to tweak the design to bring the final price within the town’s budget.
“We like all of our options, but there are … we’d like to kind of tweak option 1,” Collins said, describing substitutions such as changing some equipment and moving from wood chips to a poured‑surface material in places.
Council members discussed funding and next steps. Collins confirmed a grant of $165,000 is available for the project and that the town had budgeted a roughly $13,000 cash match; together the presenters described that as roughly $178,000 in near‑term project funding while warning the committee may need to rework scope and cost.
Councilor (Speaker 3) moved to approve the contract award to Garrett Parks and Play while directing the advisory committee to return with edited numbers after negotiating changes with the vendor; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. The council did not adopt a final dollar cap at the meeting and instructed staff and the committee to present a final total for approval once negotiations are complete.
Why it matters: the playground and a connected sport court are central to the council’s livability and family‑friendly goals, and the decision authorizes staff to begin contract work while preserving a later council review of the final price. The council’s action keeps the procurement competitive while allowing adjustments to align design and funding.
What comes next: the playground advisory committee will meet with Garrett Parks and Play to finalize equipment selections and surface choices, then return to council with a final contract amount for formal approval.
