The El Dorado Parks and Playgrounds Commission is ready to present another funding request for the next project in an ongoing effort to improve city parks.
The EPPC is looking to get back on the El Dorado Works Board agenda to request funding for work that is planned for Mellor Park.
The EWB oversees the El Dorado Works tax, a one-cent, city sales tax that is dedicated to economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life projects.
Over the past two years, the tax has been used to fund several improvements at public parks as a part of a master plan that was drafted by the EPPC after commissioners toured several city parks in the fall of 2018 to identify and assess areas for improvement.
The El Dorado Works tax has covered several projects since 2020, including:
• $186,740 to pave the Leslie Ann Darden Memorial Trail ($166,000); purchase a powered lawn sweeper ($16,346) for LCMGC; and purchase and install five, park-style, charcoal BBQ grills for Neel, Mattocks, Mellor, Mosby and Old City parks ($2,417).
• $89,052 for a used fairway mower ($38,380) and two utility carts ($9,262 apiece) for LCMGC; and $43,280 to build two new basketball courts in Lions Club Park.
• $43,972 for the public restroom ($30,000) in LCP; two new water fountains ($12,400), one of which will be installed on the north side of the recreational trail and the other, on the south end of the trail near the basketball courts; and $1,572 for a new picnic table, which will also be placed near the basketball courts.
There are more proposed projects on deck, including a public aquatics facility to replace the Mattocks Park swimming pool, which was razed earlier this year.
Now, the EPPC is homing in on Mellor Park.
Commissioners had anticipated approaching the EWB in August to request funding for improvements and upgrades to Mellor Park but they asked to be removed from the EWB agenda.
At the time, commissioners explained that they needed more time to prepare a funding package that will consider the full scope of work that is being planned for Mellor Park.
Work that has been proposed for Mellor Park entails resurfacing and repairing cracks in all six tennis courts and converting the three courts on the south end (upper courts) of the facility into eight pickleball courts.
The three north (lower) courts will be filled, leveled and resurfaced for tennis.
The job also includes sanding, cleaning, repainting, replacing the nets and adding windscreens, new fencing and lighting.
In September, the EPPC learned that a resurfacing bid had come in at $86,6400 and on Tuesday, Robert Edmonds, El Dorado director of public works, said bids had been submitted for fencing and lighting
The low bids were $109,000 and $150,000 respectively.
Edmonds said the bid for new fencing at Mellor Park was separated from bids that were let for new fencing in Mitchell Park, which includes a pet enclosure, and the basketball courts in Lions Club Park.
"I wanted to do a unit bid for fencing but because of the different height for fencing on the tennis court and the number of gates that were in it, no one wanted to do that," said Edmonds, adding that the bidding period for fencing in Mitchell and Lions Club will likely close in late December.
He advised commissioners to compile the bids for Mellor Park into a funding request to take to the EWB.
Alexander also reported that she received word that several lights are out at the tennis courts in Mellor Park.
Edmonds said the matter can be addressed once the improvement project begins.
He said the existing fence would have to be removed and crews would have to go onto the courts in order to replace the lights that are out.
"So, I think we're close enough to this project that once we remove the fence, there will be new LED lights installed at that time," Edmonds said.