A new play structure is going to be added at Royal Heights Veterans Memorial Park next year.
Estevan city council gave the green light at its meeting on March 22 for a new pillow bouncer apparatus to be added to the park. In a letter to council, Rod March, the city’s manager of parks and facilities, said that recently a local business owner approached the city and offered a donation towards the bouncer.
It’s not clear whether the donor would want their name attached to the structure.
March wrote that other areas that have this amenity generated only positive feedback. He has contacted the manufacture, and the cost of the item, including delivery and supply, is approximately $15,000.
In speaking with the manufacturer, March said he is confident that the city can install the item in-house. But there would be a cost to the city to complete the site preparation, electrical needs, lighting, security fencing and ongoing maintenance.
The sponsor is offering $10,000 for the bouncer; the estimate to have this amenity fully operational will be approximately $27,000.
The item is not included in the 2021 budget, as the offer for sponsorship came to the city after budget submissions for this year.
“It is a new item, stemming from the generosity of an Estevan business owner, which we always appreciate. If it were to proceed, it will undoubtedly be a valuable and popular feature enjoyed by many patrons in the park,” said March.
Councillor Rebecca Foord said it’s great to see that businesses and others want to put their hard-earned money in the community. But she also wanted to know how it would affect the city’s insurance, because it’s a new facility.
March replied by saying they would have signage regarding the risk of the bouncer, but he said this would likely be one of the safer structures in the city because he compared it to “a big pillow.”
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Councillor Lindsay Clark wants to see a plan to improve some of the residential roads in the city.
Speaking during the inquiries portion of the meeting, Clark said he would like to see council begin to improve residential streets. He asked for city manager Jeff Ward and department heads to bring council members up to speed regarding potential roads to be resurfaced over the next few years.
“I’d like to see if we can begin the process to start in the next budget cycle, and in closing I’d just like some preliminary information brought to council that could lead to us setting priorities and seeing the challenges, both financial and structural, that we’ll see in Estevan,” said Clark.
Mayor Roy Ludwig suggested the city could come forward with a list of some of its worst streets and how to address them.
Clark said the previous five months have been interesting and informative, and he has seen what the previous council has taken on with debt reduction and the shift in the primary water source, among other things.
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The fuel tender for 2021-2024 was awarded to the Southern Plains Co-op. It will cost the city $1.06 for unleaded fuel and $1.07 for diesel from the cardlock.
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Foord and Councillor Shelly Veroba brought forward issues with people cleaning up after their dogs. It’s been a problem in parks, they said, and they hope people will do their part to clean up after pets, because it makes for a cleaner city.
