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Board examines $448,000 NES playground plan, drainage concerns and phased funding options
Summary
Playground specialist Joe Latham presented site, ADA and surfacing options and said a full playground may cost about $448,000. The board discussed using roughly $325,690 from existing CIP balances plus additional returned revenue and asked for site drawings and options to value-engineer features.
Playground Specialist Joe Latham told the Board the full NES playground proposal totals about $448,000 and that a $200,000 appropriation would pay for roughly half the equipment. Latham said a lot of equipment can be included at the $300,000 range but stressed the need to determine required ADA accessibility levels.
Latham described mitigation options for chronic standing water, including grading, adding subbase and French drains and saw-cutting curb joints to allow overflow onto adjacent asphalt. He estimated most equipment carries 15-year warranties while surfacing warranties are typically seven years but can last 10–12 years with good maintenance.
County staff said the playground CIP starting balance is $125,690.33; finance staff and the superintendent discussed applying about $200,000 of identified returned revenue to raise the playground balance to approximately $325,690.33. The board discussed site placement trade-offs, noting moving the playground could reduce drainage work but might remove a ball field and reduce parental sightlines for supervising children.
Chairman James W. Brann asked for a site drawing showing equipment arranged to match a $325,690.33 budget; Latham agreed to provide a layout to Superintendent Leslie. The Board deferred final action until the upcoming CIP public hearing and noted that ordering by the end of May would improve chances of installation before the next school year.
