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Leitchfield council moves forward on Fireman’s Memorial Park revamp after split vote
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Summary
After a detailed presentation from Miracle representatives, the council tied on a motion to accept a single bidder’s Plan B but voted to proceed with a broader revamp and to route proposals through the parks and recreation director for review. Budget questions and calls for more due diligence featured prominently.
Leitchfield — The City Council heard a detailed presentation on April (first presented in the meeting transcript) from Miracle representatives Josh and Tammy on two inclusive playground designs for Fireman’s Memorial Park and debated whether to accept a single bid or proceed with a broader review. Josh said the company’s turnkey price is $1,390,000, about $210,000 under the city’s $1.6 million budget and including the splash pad, shelter and concrete work.
Council members split over moving forward immediately with Miracle’s Plan B. A motion to accept Plan B resulted in a tie; several council members said they still needed clearer information about funding sources, contract terms and answers to 29 previously submitted questions. One committee member said, “I just think we have due diligence to do before we get there,” and urged staff to confirm how the project would be paid for before awarding a single contract. Josh responded that his team had attempted to meet with the parks and recreation director and that the company made multiple efforts to present options in person.
The presentation emphasized universal design: Josh described a fully ramped option that reaches an 8-foot deck with roughly 14,500 square feet of play area, extensive shade (thousands of square feet), sensory panels and ADA-accessible pieces so children using wheelchairs can engage with large play elements. He also outlined warranty terms — deck posts and clamps with a 100-year warranty, plastic slides and climbers with a 15-year warranty and turf with an 8-year warranty — and said the splash-pad features are designed not to exceed 60 gallons per minute per feature.
Council members also raised procurement-process concerns. Several speakers asked that the parks and recreation director review all bids and that the council receive clear documentation about how the project would be funded — including whether funds would be borrowed, taken from reserves or supplemented by outside contributions. One council member said he had not been told tourism commitments the vendor referenced and requested written confirmation of any outside funding claims.
After the tie on the motion to accept Miracle’s Plan B, the council approved a separate motion directing staff to proceed with revamping Fireman’s Memorial Park and to pursue and review the proposals received rather than immediately awarding the project to a single bidder. The council recorded a voice vote on that motion in favor and then adjourned the meeting.
Next steps: the council directed that proposals be reviewed by the parks and recreation director and that outstanding questions be addressed before any final contract award. The matter is expected to return to a future council agenda for final action.
