Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Universal Plaza Splash Pad topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tigard says Universal Plaza splash pad must be upgraded to meet current OHA rules; reopening delayed
Summary
City staff told council a post‑construction Oregon Health Authority review found the splash pad lacked required plan‑review approvals; the city has engaged water consultants and will return with design options and a timeline to comply with current OHA standards.
City staff told the council that the Universal Plaza splash pad cannot reopen until required upgrades are completed to satisfy current Oregon Health Authority (OHA) regulations.
Parks and Recreation Manager Rick Gruen told council the city discovered the prior project team did not complete the required OHA plan review before construction. "We discovered that the prior project team did not engage with the Oregon Health Authority prior to the start of construction to go through what's called a plan review," Gruen said. Under OHA rules, an initial plan review and a final approval are required so the county health authority can issue an operator's license.
City staff submitted a post‑construction plan review this winter. Because the rules changed since 2022—the year of construction—the splash pad does not meet today's OHA requirements without corrective work, and Washington County Health cannot issue the operator license until the work is completed.
Community Development Director Sample Kirkman and Gruen said the city has engaged an on‑call water consultant and reached out to two specialized water‑feature engineering firms to develop fix options. Once staff identify a solution, they will assemble an engineering project team, prepare a scope of work, and go to bid for a contractor; staff hope to return to council with options and a timeline by the end of summer.
Councilors thanked parks staff for progress while expressing frustration at the delay and wanting assurances the city will prevent similar oversights in future capital projects. Councilor Robbins and others asked what lessons the city learned and why the process took months; staff said the city submitted a complete application and awaited OHA's response before engaging design consultants and that the team is now expediting work.
Next steps: staff will finalize a technical approach with a consultant, produce cost and schedule options, and return to council for direction on corrective work and timing.
