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Group pitches memorial splash pad; council asks for staff review and parks recommendation
Summary
Christine Nagle and volunteers outlined a community-led proposal to build a memorial 'Children’s Memorial Splash Pad' in Indianola, reporting $56,000 raised, pursuing state CAT and other grants, and asking the city to help identify a site and co-apply for larger funding. Council members pressed for refined cost, maintenance and staffing details.
A community group called Maximilian’s Muddy Puddles presented a concept for a memorial, accessible splash pad to the Indianola City Council, asking the city to help identify a park location and to consider co-applying for state and private grants to make the project shovel-ready.
“Maximilian Robert Wilder … passed away in 2022 … as part of that healing process, they wanted to do something, a legacy that’d be fitting for him,” said Christine Nagle, who led the presentation and described a nature-themed splash pad with lighted, sequenceable jetted features and an optional hot-air-balloon motif. The group said the amenity would be ADA-accessible and intended to broaden summer play opportunities for children who lack private backyard space.
The presenters provided conceptual sizing and cost guidance: roughly a middle-range design around 1,500 square feet, about $105,000 in vertical features, and a wide range of mechanical-system quotes discussed during the presentation (presenters cited smaller-system and larger-system options with figures spanning roughly $97,000 to $350,000 depending on pump and recirculation choices). They explained tradeoffs between recirculation systems (higher initial cost, ongoing water testing and staffing) and drain-away or domestic flow systems (lower operations overhead, simpler maintenance).
The group reported fundraising progress and grant strategy: "We've got $56,000," Nagle said, and she said several larger grant requests were outstanding. She told the council the group had identified potential local partners, that the county may have roughly $50,000 available in its upcoming budget, and that the municipal utility (IMU) indicated willingness to help with budgeting. The group said it is also pursuing state-level community- and tourism-focused grants and planning an endowment target of $35,000–$50,000 for maintenance.
Council members pressed on cost, ongoing operations and city resources. One council member noted the city had cut seven full-time positions in the prior year and emphasized concern about adding operational responsibilities without clear funding. "So you understand though that we cut 7 full time positions this last year," the member said during questioning. Council members asked staff to work with the presenters to identify feasible sites, assess water and sewer connections and pipe-size constraints, and determine likely maintenance and staffing needs before any formal council commitment.
Council member Jake (functional role recorded in the transcript) and others recommended routing a refined package through the Parks & Recreation Commission so the body can provide a recommendation to the council on location, mechanical-system choice and maintenance plans. Presenters said their plan is to continue fundraising and, if grant money is secured, return with a more detailed, site-specific proposal and a request for formal city partnership or adoption.
What’s next: Staff and the project group will refine cost projections based on a tentative site, evaluate plumbing and utility constraints, and the Parks & Recreation Commission will be asked to review the package and make a recommendation to council. No city funding or formal council approval was committed at the meeting.
