All-new playground equipment will be installed in Centennial Park this summer.
The District of 100 Mile House council has approved a budget amendment to allow an additional $10,000 in the 2014 Capital Plan for the Bridge Creek Trail Project to cover the cost of the playground replacement.
Local taxpayers may be pleased to note the province is paying for much of it ($27,099) under a previously approved grant. The District is kicking in the balance ($7,901) from its financial reserves, but budgeting $10,000 to allow room for unanticipated costs.
Councillor Ralph Fossum noted at the April 22 regular council meeting that the earlier Bridge Creek Trail Project park improvements came in under budget.
“It is primarily because we had a lot of money left over from the grant that we still had to refund, and they finally said that maybe we could use it, and we said ‘you bet’.”
That previous replacement of three bridges and various trail upgrades were performed by local contractor Bree Construction Ltd., and due mostly to its efficient handling of the project, the work was completed at less than estimated costs.
The playground was targeted for replacement after the Municipal Insurance Association conducted a risk assessment in the park in 2012, and found several of its components do not meet CSA standards.
Staff then pointed out to the province that bringing up the safety standards would meet the original grant criteria, and received approval to go ahead with the project.
