The El Dorado Parks and Playgrounds Commission will have to wait a little longer for a decision on a funding request to improve city parks.
On Dec. 8, commissioners presented the proposal to the El Dorado Works Board, who administers the city’s one-cent sales tax for economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life projects.
Fifteen percent of tax revenue is dedicated to community development projects, with 6% for parks and playgrounds — sports, recreational and outdoor venues or projects.
After reviewing the nearly $1 million package, which was presented by EPPC chairman Ken Goudy, EWB members asked for more details that outline how the plan will be implemented and a timeline for the various components of the project.
The proposal had been under development for two years, starting in the fall of 2018 when the EPPC toured several city parks to identify needs and areas of improvement.
Commissioners then turned to the public for ideas and suggestions, urging local residents to contact them and holding a public hearing to learn firsthand what residents wanted in the city parks system.
Goudy presented to the EWB a request for $993,450 to cover costs for the:
• Installation of eight public restroom facilities in several city parks.
• Renovation of the Mattocks Park swimming pool and pool house and expansion of the basketball courts in Mattocks Park.
• Resurfacing the tennis courts in Mellor Park and striping the courts for pickleball.
• Fencing, leveling, hydro-seeding and irrigation for the field in Neel Park. The field is used heavily for soccer.
• Resurfacing of the 2.25-mile recreation trail on 19th Street.
• New picnic tables, BBQ grills and benches for several city parks.
Also included in the proposal are equipment purchases — a greens roller, sweeper, mini excavator, commercial herbicide sprayer and sod cutter that will be used at Lions Club Municipal Golf Course, the El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex and other city parks.
Removal of old dugouts and fencing and the addition of a basketball goal are other projects that have been proposed for Neel Park.
“Is this a wish list?” EWB member Sara Coffman asked.
“These are the things we think need to be done. El Dorado has a lot going for it,” Goudy told EWB members, adding that upgrading public parks would complement ongoing economic development efforts in the city.
Overall vision
“One of the biggest issues I see is there are no restrooms at any of the parks. We’ve got some nice parks and we want people to be able to come out and enjoy themselves,” Goudy said.
Public restrooms that were previously in Mellor Park were eventually removed after repeated acts of vandalism, he said.
The EPPC proposal calls for eight restroom facilities with units for men and women at an estimated $30,000 each. Goudy told EWB members that the facilities may not cost that much.
He also said some of the structures could be installed near existing water and wastewater infrastructure, further cutting costs.
EWB members asked the EPPC and Robert Edmonds, director of public works for El Dorado, how they plan to curb vandalism.
Edmonds and Goudy said there have been discussions about installing timed locks on the doors and surveillance cameras.
Coffman asked who would maintain the restrooms and Edmonds said the city has a crew that is dedicated to city parks and the cleaning and upkeep of the restrooms would be become a part of their scope of work.
“I would like to see what the restrooms will look like,” Coffman said.
“It’s just a cinder block structure with a commode, lavatory and a urinal and some lighting,” Edmonds responded.
He explained that prices for the various components of the proposal were quoted by contractors or were bid, unit estimates.
Coffman also inquired about the $200,000 estimate for upgrades and renovations of the Mattocks Park pool.
Commissioner Alexis Alexander said the pool had been the topic of conversation with the EPPC for several years, explaining that the commission was considering closing the facility because of reports of low usage that did not justify costs to operate or undertake costly repairs that are needed.
Commissioners toured the facility in 2018 while it was closed during the off-season and Alexander said she later went for a swim and saw firsthand how many people use the pool and the condition of the pool house, changing rooms and restrooms.
She told EWB members that an average of 50 to 60 people used the pool each day in 2019 and she witnessed the rapport that staff members, who also provide swimming lessons, had developed with the children who regularly swim there.
“We thought we needed to fix up around there,” Alexander said.
Goudy also noted that in a long-running partnership with the city, Great Lakes/LANXESS provides the chemicals that are necessary to operate the pool each year.
The pool did not open this year because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Some of the work that has been proposed for 120,000-gallon pool are new pipes, sand filters, pump and chlorine systems and repairs to the concrete floor, which has deteriorated, Edmonds said.
The $200,000 estimate also includes repairs and renovation of the pool house.
The EWB then asked multiple questions regarding the particulars of the improvement plan, including which park the EPPC expects to start with and how many parks are included in the plan.
“These are things I’d like to know. What is the size of the ask? Where do we want to get to and what the vision is? Is this part of a multi-faceted plan? Will you come back in 10 years?” asked Greg Downum, chairman of the EWB.
EWB member Avo Vartenian agreed, saying, “I’d also like to see a game plan so we can look at the grand scheme of things, what the overall vision is.”
EPPC members said they will tweak the plan and return to the EWB in January.