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Council awards $250,000 parks master plan contract despite public concern over cost
Summary
After extended council and public debate about a $250,000 price tag, Lake Havasu City approved a comprehensive parks and recreation master plan contract with Barry Dunn McNeil & Parker LLC 4-2; proponents said the plan bundles multiple deliverables and will guide future capital spending, while opponents urged spending on maintenance and to use existing studies.
Lake Havasu City Council voted 4-2 on Feb. 24 to award a $250,000 professional services contract to Barry Dunn, McNeil & Parker LLC to produce the city's first comprehensive parks and recreation master plan.
Gabby Vera, who presented the item as parks director, described the proposed plan as a long-range, data-driven roadmap that will inventory parks and facilities, assess conditions, identify gaps and opportunities, and produce a 10-year implementation plan with capital cost estimates and performance indicators. "This comprehensive master plan is gonna serve as our road map to the future," Vera said.
Consultant Lakita Frazier, proposed project manager for Barry Dunn, outlined a scope that includes a system inventory, condition assessment, community engagement (pop-ups, focus groups and a statistically valid survey), an organizational and staffing assessment, and a capital improvement program with cost estimates and KPIs. "What we are presenting to you is the full system inventory and your condition assessment ... and a 10 year implementation matrix with KPIs," Frazier said.
The proposal drew sustained questioning over cost. Vice Mayor David Diaz and Councilmember Nancy Campbell described "sticker shock" at the $250,000 price and argued the city's parks staff and existing plans could deliver many elements. "I have a real hard time with the $250,000," Campbell said, urging that maintenance and immediate infrastructure (roads, water mains) take priority.
Several members of the public echoed those concerns. Donna Bess Carleton, who said she worked with the parks department for decades, noted a 2016 parks study that went unused and urged caution before spending again: "We currently have a 2016 study that has been sitting on a shelf because when it came back, we couldn't afford to do anything that was in that study," she said. Private citizen Kelly Lutz argued the city should prioritize fiscal responsibility: "They're not looking to spend $250,000 of our money on a study," Lutz said during public comment.
Supporters on the dais said the contract consolidates multiple standalone studies into a single work product and provides data to avoid costly planning mistakes. Councilmember Jim Dolan and others compared the outside review to past audits and cross-jurisdiction planning used to improve transparency and long-term decision-making.
Councilmember Cameron Moses moved to award the contract and authorized the city manager to execute the agreement; the motion passed 4-2. Council members who voted against the award said they worried the plan's findings could be unaffordable and left on a shelf without funding to implement recommendations.
The contract approval included direction that the plan emphasize accessibility, community engagement and an actionable CIP that staff can integrate into annual budgeting.
