Parks board chair outlines county-built splash pad plan for Wright Park

The parks board chair presented detailed plans for a splash pad proposed for Wright Park and urged the commission to review a draft land-lease that would let Gratiot County Parks install and maintain the facility on city land. He said the county would pay installation and upkeep while Alma City would provide water and electricity under a 25-year lease with a renewable term.

The chair of the Gratiot County Parks and Recreation Board (who identified himself as Tim) described the chosen vendor and the site: “The contractor Vortex, they do Disneys, they do Legoland, they do resorts,” and he said the equipment is in the August production queue with expected delivery in October. He said the pad’s design uses a 60-foot footprint with roughly 22 features and benefits from nearby restrooms and parking in Wright Park, which makes the site “an optimum location.”

Commissioners pressed the presenter on practical concerns: water usage, control of operating cycles, winter drainage, and long-term maintenance if a county millage declined. The presenter described a flow-through system designed to minimize ongoing maintenance and said the pad is app-controlled so staff can limit run cycles and zoned features to conserve water. He acknowledged trial-and-error will be needed to set cycle lengths and offered possible sponsor-funded special activations for high-attendance events.

Public safety and vandalism also arose during public comment. A resident recalled vandalism at a nearby community splash pad and asked whether the city and county plan to install cameras; the presenter said county parks use security cameras with recorded memory at several sites and that security planning is part of the project scoping.

The draft land-lease was presented for review only and the commission did not take final action; the county indicated it will wait for any city edits and the county’s own review to finish before returning with a final agreement.