Commission approves Warfield Park improvements after debate over splash-pad reliability and cost

Fort Lauderdale commissioners voted April 16 to approve a $1,243,394 contract with Segares Corp. to complete Warfield Park improvements, including a downsized splash pad, playground and other site upgrades — and spent substantial time questioning the splash pad’s performance, costs and procurement process.

Commissioner comments focused on recurring operational issues with the existing, more complex splash pad at the Loop/Oceanside Park and whether the Warfield design would be resilient to environmental factors such as salt air. Parks and Recreation Director Carl Williams told the commission that the Loop splash pad had experienced component and programming failures but had been brought back into basic operation; he said the Warfield design would be less intricate and that the splash pad alone, after rescoping, came in at about $500,000 within the larger negotiated contract.

Commissioners also pointed to line-item cuts that reduced the overall project scope by roughly $376,000 and asked whether the trimmed splash-pad design would still deliver desired features. Carl Williams and procurement staff said the reduced scope shrinks the pad’s size and some programming features but preserves basic functionality; they acknowledged challenges with vendor responsiveness and explained that procurement conducted addenda and reissuing attempts but ultimately negotiated with a single responsive bidder.

Chief procurement staff said the city had issued two addenda to try to draw competition, then entered negotiation with the sole bidder, consistent with the ordinance permitting negotiation with a single bidder when competition is limited. Commissioners pressed staff to ensure warranties and long-term operability, and asked that sound-absorption materials be included in improvements to the Warfield gym as part of the renovation.

The motion to approve (M4) was moved, seconded and approved by unanimous roll call. Commissioners said they would monitor the splash pad’s performance and vendor responsiveness and asked staff to pursue fixes for the Loop splash pad as well.