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Council reviews downtown and parks improvements, playground work and water-plant update
Summary
Council heard staff updates on downtown concrete and playground turf, a proposed mural awning design, a recommendation to replace stage porches with Trex and aluminum railing, estimates for two pickleball courts (asphalt vs. concrete), plans for a 40-foot flagpole with wired lighting, and a water-plant sampling and cleaning update from DEQ coordination.
Rural Retreat — Council members spent substantial time on planned downtown and parks work, including a mural awning design, stage and porch repairs, playground improvements, potential pickleball courts and an update on the town's water-plant sampling and recent cleaning.
Staff reported downtown concrete prep is complete and turf installation at the playground is scheduled; a playground contractor has provided a quote for replacing wooden equipment and staff will bring estimates to the budget committee. For the heritage stage and related porches, staff recommended using Trex decking and new aluminum railing to replace repeatedly patched wood, saying the Trex option will extend service life substantially.
On recreation, staff relayed cost estimates from a Princeton firm that has installed around 350 pickleball courts: two courts turnkey (fencing, striping, site work) would run about $200,000 with concrete, while an asphalt build might be approximately $100,000, though staff cautioned about durability trade-offs. Council discussed timers and set hours as ways to limit lighting impacts and operating cost concerns.
Staff also described plans for a roughly 40-foot flagpole with a large (8-by-12) flag and recommended wired ground-mounted lighting (not solar); they noted halyards enclosed in the pole and a lock to protect the flaglines.
Separately, staff gave a water-plant update: after a sensor issue, crews completed CIP cleaning and used roughly 80 gallons of muriatic acid to adjust pH; water levels returned to normal, and staff awaits DEQ's direction on required sampling frequency for raw-water tests at Staley Spring so plant specifications can be finalized.
Council asked staff to gather firm cost estimates and bring specific proposals (including site dimensions, proposed operating hours for lights, and contract terms) to the budget committee for further action.
