Water-park construction advances as town confirms bond sale and grading permit

Town officials said the water-park project is moving from design to construction after the town’s recent borrowing and permit milestones.

Town Treasurer Dan reported the town issued about $5.9 million in tax-exempt bonds for the water park; the bonds sold at a premium and the town received proceeds near $5.998 million. "The actual proceeds from the sale of the bonds were 5,998,000," he said, adding the interest rate on the issuance was about 3.94 percent and that issuance costs were paid out of proceeds.

Town Engineer Wayne announced the grading permit for the water park was issued during the meeting week, enabling the contractor to begin site work and demolition once other building-permit items are cleared. Wayne said the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for construction should be available in the coming weeks and that the owner’s representative remains actively coordinating pre‑construction steps and the contractor’s pre-construction team.

Wastewater and treatment-plant staff reported recent electrical and equipment repairs and staff training progress. A VFD replacement on a belt filter press was completed within a day by the vendor the plant uses. Plant operators and staff also flagged a routine MDE inspection scheduled for June 4.

The council also discussed parking and circulation around the water-park site, noting that the town’s planned parking study for ADU/parking impacts has been difficult to procure because some firms lack the specific capacities required by recent state law. Staff proposed a phased approach to compliance if a full study cannot be procured in time: an interim, lower-cost study to meet the statutory deadline, with a more comprehensive study later.

What’s next: With grading permitted, the project can begin site preparation when the contractor’s steps are approved. Staff will continue providing GMP updates and coordinate parking/study work to mitigate neighborhood impacts as construction proceeds.