Contractor urges phased bidding; council waits on pavilion grant before final park design

Council received an update on the town park project and directed staff to prepare a phased budget while pausing a landscaping RFP until grant results and a budget are clearer.

Sean (S6), the contractor giving the update, told the council the project has completed two phases but remains unfinished: the remaining work primarily includes a septic installation and running power to the future restroom building. He recommended keeping the current contractor under contract and presenting transparent bids for remaining items so the council could approve individual phases or bid items. "We basically need to figure out, plan to budget and or to, keep the bases moving," Sean said, urging a phased, transparent approach with limited allowable markup on subcontractor bids.

The mayor (S1) said the town applied for a $650,000 grant for restrooms and the pavilion and expressed a desire to delay pavilion design until that grant's outcome is known. Cody (S8) later said there were two grants: one he described as $600,000 for the restroom/pavilion and another $200,000 for a playground; he said the playground grant decision would likely come sooner while the larger grant decision would not be known until November. The transcript contains both the mayor's $650,000 figure and Cody's $600,000 figure; council members asked staff to confirm the correct amount before making final design decisions.

Council members raised immediate safety and access issues — open ledges, dust and unfinished edges — and agreed that certain features could be made safe and opened to the public if sprinklers, landscaping and certificate‑of‑occupancy items were addressed. The council also directed staff to check contract status and bonding before deciding whether to keep the contractor under contract or rebid remaining work. No formal vote to extend the contractor was recorded; council consensus favored preparing a phased budget and holding off on the landscaping RFP until staff verifies contract and grant details.

Separately, council members agreed to reschedule the next council meeting to April 15, 2026, and to table the Enbridge franchise ordinance pending further legal review.