Williamston mayor outlines $750,000 state earmark to upgrade Mineral Spring and Brookdale parks

The mayor of Williamston told the Town Council that the town received a $750,000 state earmark to pay for upgrades at Mineral Spring Park and Brookdale Park, and presented a master plan and detailed cost estimates for proposed work.

Mayor: "we announced that the town of Williamston was a was the recipient of a $750,000 earmark in this year's state budget," he said, adding that Representative Anne Thayer had advocated for the appropriation. He said the funds are intended specifically for improvements to Brookdale and Mineral Spring parks.

The mayor said the projects were chosen on the basis of "need," noting that Mineral Spring Park is the town's most-used park and that its playground lacks adequate fall protection and ADA compliance. He gave the council a cost breakdown: the playground equipment itself is $358,537, installation is $99,000, and turf and turf installation are $200,000; a $71,707 discount from state contract pricing was also cited. "If this body wants to take the entirety of that and place it at Brookdale, I'm okay with that," the mayor said, adding that the council can prioritize differently if it chooses.

On Brookdale Park the mayor emphasized replacing an aging, termite-damaged shelter and listed recent and completed improvements (LED lighting, restripping of courts, CCTV cameras and added electrical pedestal for events). He displayed photos of termite damage and said the shelter replacement is the "number 1 thing to replace" at Brookdale. He described a commercial-grade powder-coated steel polygon shelter as the preferred option and said a contractor estimated about 20 weeks for steel manufacture, powder coating and shipping after permitting is complete.

Cost and scope details cited to the council included line items from a contractor quote (steel frame, roofing, electrical access) and a separate budgeted amount the mayor described as a total of about $150,000 for the Brookdale shelter when demolition, site work and footings are included. The mayor said that some quoted line items (steel frame $29,000; roof $7,645) did not include demo or installation and recommended budgeting about $40,000 for demolition.

Several council members raised concerns about contractor performance on recent restripping and seal work and about apparent discrepancies between estimates shared on social media and the formal quotes provided to council members. The mayor said the detailed quote had been distributed and encouraged members of the public to call him with questions.

On health and safety, the PFAS concern surfaced when residents questioned artificial turf. The mayor said the town's turf manufacturer (Shaw) provides a specification that "certifies that turf will be PFAS free," per his remarks; the article reports that as a claim made at the meeting rather than an independent finding.

The mayor said the state earmark language is sufficiently flexible to allow use on both parks so long as the funds are used for park improvements. He asked the council to reach agreement by the end of the meeting on the immediate steps needed to proceed with contracts and permitting; multiple council members said they had no opposition to moving forward as presented.

What's next: The mayor said he has a contract on his desk for the work but has not yet signed it, and that several projects (including the Brookdale shelter) will require permitting and a manufacturing lead time that could push installation into late 2024 or 2025 if timelines hold. The council agreed to continue reviewing quotes and to return for further action as needed.