Ames City Council directs staff to seek short extension, keep Schainker Plaza closed until state approves splash pad

The Ames City Council voted unanimously May 19 to direct staff to negotiate a short, mutually agreeable extension with Henkel Construction for remaining punch‑list work at Schainker Plaza and to keep the plaza closed until the state issues an operating permit for the splash pad.

Keith, a city staff member, told the council the project is operating under a settlement and partial‑occupancy agreement and that contractors have corrected many items but still have “about 6 or 7 items left,” estimating most would be completed by the coming Friday. He said a precast concrete panel with a chip‑out cannot be repaired until June 15 when precast installers are available, and the spray‑pad drain has been installed and performed satisfactorily in tests.

Staff flagged an unresolved performance issue with the spray pad’s fog nozzles, saying “those fog nozzles get inundated with water” when multiple features run and therefore may not work as designed. Keith said the contractor Henkel and design firm Confluence have engaged Aquatic Design, the spray‑pad designer, to determine whether the problem is timing or design related and what corrective steps would be required.

The city has submitted an application for the state inspection that oversees pools and splash pads but “has not heard back from the state,” staff said. Because the state operating permit is required to operate the splash pad, staff recommended a cooperative approach: direct staff to work with Henkel on a short extension rather than declaring the contractor in breach, and keep the fencing in place until the state permit and verification that punch‑list items meet specifications are complete. Keith summarized staff’s recommended approach as preferring an agreeable time extension instead of immediate breach proceedings.

Council members asked about benchmarks and whether staff could negotiate time‑bound milestones; staff said they expect to set a short timeline tied to Confluence’s May 26 review and subsequent verification. Staff told the council that, under the recommended approach, the plaza would remain closed until the state issues the operating permit and that Confluence and subcontractors would review punch‑list work on May 26.

The motion to adopt staff’s recommended alternative four — directing staff to work with Henkel on a brief extension, keep fencing in place and not open the plaza until state approval — passed on a roll call vote with all members present voting yes.

Next steps: Confluence and several subcontractors will perform a back‑punch review on May 26; staff will work with Henkel to set clear, short benchmarks for remaining items; and the city will not open the plaza until the state issues the splash‑pad operating permit.