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Council approves misting poles for Gardner Park playground, uses park improvement fund
Summary
After reviewing splash-pad alternatives and water-consumption estimates, the council approved $60,000 for landscape-structure misting poles to be funded from the Gardner Park Improvement Fund; staff said the project is primarily grant-funded with some remediation costs still undetermined.
The Newport City Council voted Jan. 27 to proceed with misting-pole water features at Gardner Park rather than a traditional splash pad.
Michael Brown, the city's recreation director, reviewed options: a traditional recycled splash pad with below-grade filtration (previously estimated near $500,000), InstaSplash's above-grade recycled system (~$115,000) and InstaSplash's flow-through system (~$60,000); and a third option of misting poles/misting structures that use far less water (Michael Brown estimated roughly 3,000 gallons per season for misting poles under his usage assumptions). Brown recommended a misting-pole solution, citing the flood-plain constraints on a conventional pad and the lower water consumption and maintenance requirements of misting poles.
Council member (speaker 2) moved to purchase four landscape-structure misting units (15,000 each, total $60,000). Brown said the project is part of a larger grant and donation package; the Gardner Park Improvement Fund was cited in council discussion as holding approximately $271,000. The council moved, seconded and approved the expenditure by voice vote. Staff noted that some remediation costs remain unknown and that if the council later elected to change product type staff would return with details.
What comes next: staff will finalize procurement details and return contracts/materials to the council for signature as required, and the recreation department will coordinate installation timing and any required permitting.
