Quincy council authorizes bids for Bossier Park Phase 1; playground funding tied to RCO grant

Quincy City Council authorized city staff to advertise for bid proposals for Bossier Park Field Development Phase 1 after an extended discussion of scope and grant funding.

Engineer Bellino outlined what will be bid in Phase 1: one baseball/softball field, a restroom and mechanical room, grading for the overall site, pathways, and water and sewer tie-ins to the north of the park. He also recommended including a portion of Street Southwest in the Phase 1 bid packet to provide parking access, saying the design and specifications for that roadway element have already been completed and could be added by addendum.

A council member asked for clarification on what exactly Phase 1 includes; Bellino responded that the bid will include the field, restroom, mechanical room, grading and utility tie-ins and that any small rearrangements could be handled by addendum. Staff also discussed coordination with planned duplex footprints and potential shared parking with the school district.

Parks staff Russ said the RCO (State Recreation and Conservation Office) has approved mapping for the playground grant and is preparing a contract so the playground — originally planned for a later phase — could be implemented concurrently with Phase 1 work if bid and scheduling permit. "We got the mapping for the area of the grant that we got approved from the 2024 application," Russ said, and staff expects the contract to come soon so the playground work could be integrated.

The council voted to authorize advertisement of the bid proposals so procurement can proceed. Staff will prepare the bid packet and any addenda needed to integrate the playground and Street Southwest items where feasible.

What’s next: Staff will issue the advertisement for bids and return to council with contract awards and any necessary addenda or budget requests.