Council agrees to study proposed natural playground but flags staff capacity and cost concerns

Council members agreed to ask staff to study the feasibility, cost and renderings for a proposed natural playground adjacent to existing park areas, but several members cautioned that staff capacity and hidden costs could be significant.

"I am not opposed to studying this park... I wanna caution everybody, our public works director's leaving. We have an interim coming in. We're gonna start doing more with less people here... it's gonna be a tough time for us to do deep studies right now when we have everyday work to try to keep the city moving and going," said Tracy (Speaker 11), who supported commissioning a study but warned about demands on staff time. Tracy added that a study does not imply support for the park and asked for cost estimates and renderings before any decision.

Other council members echoed the need for a formal study and for staff to identify potential funding sources; the mayor asked Marty to look into budget options and return with findings. Concerns included potential crowding during large events (one member cited a hypothetical 9,500-person concert next to a playground) and the cost of replacing turf and sidewalks if natural features require removal. The council directed staff to proceed with a study and to present findings at a future session.