Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Splash Pad topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates splash pad fees, signage and staffing for Clay Youth Sports park
Summary
Clay councilors discussed replacing or reprogramming the park’s electronic sign (installed by Coca‑Cola), recommended temporary banner signage for the splash pad, and agreed to start without an entrance fee while exploring seasonal staffing and concessions.
The Clay City Council on March 10 discussed how best to make the Clay Youth Sports Baseball Park and its splash pad more usable and visible this summer, including whether to charge a fee, how to staff the facility and how to address signage.
Mayor (speaker 1) said the park’s electronic sign still functions but the city lacks the programming access and has been told Coca‑Cola manages the sign remotely. Councilors asked staff to try to locate a Coca‑Cola representative before pursuing replacement. “It’s a computer program just like this one out here. But we don't have the IP address,” the mayor said.
On entrance policies, the mayor cited the city’s accounting report from Oct. 24 to Sept. 25 showing $1,116 in splash‑pad revenue and argued that fees and ID checks discourage local use. “I don't think it's worth dealing with collecting fees for that,” Councilor Harris (speaker 5) said, arguing the modest revenue didn’t justify enforcement burdens.
Councilors sketched an operational plan that would begin with free local access, monitor usage, and revisit fees only if overcrowding or other management problems emerged. They discussed staffing the site with seasonal employees — preferring at least one adult on duty for crowd control and maintenance — and suggested hours from the Tuesday after Memorial Day through the Saturday before Labor Day, with Sundays and some holidays closed.
For visibility, several council members favored inexpensive, reusable tall banner signs for summer rather than permanent brickwork. They also discussed limited concessions (prepackaged items and a Coca‑Cola cooler) and noted health‑department approvals would be needed for any food sales.
Next steps: staff will search for the Coca‑Cola contact for sign programming, investigate banner vendors, and return with cost and staffing estimates to a future meeting.
