Budget amendment cements fitness court location

The east side versus west side debate over the location of a proposed outdoor fitness court appears over, courtesy of a budget amendment presented today by City Manager Scott Sellers, with the staff-recommended Marketplace Avenue site emerging victorious over Steeplechase Park.

The amendment, one of nine Sellers outlined to the city council during its morning budget workshop, adds $130,000 to the list of CIP expenses for the court, $25,000 of which will come from a grant awarded the city from the National Fitness Campaign, with the remainder being paid for, according to Sellers’s presentation, from a “future PID bond reimbursement to the city.” That essentially means, when all is said and done, all taxpayer funds spent on the construction of the court will be reimbursed by a private developer, so there’s a net zero cost to the city. 

At least two council members, Mayor Travis Mitchell and Robert Rizo, wanted the court at Steeplechase Park, but only if city funds were going to be used for its construction. The staff recommended the west side site, located on the east side of Marketplace between the Burleson Road roundabout and Plum Creek, because of its central location, no park facilities currently exist there, and existing trees on the property offer shade for the court.

The other budget amendments of note Sellers presented to the council today included a $100,000 contribution that would go toward a “senior center project,” and $2.17 million for a sludge de-watering press system that reduces the amount of sludge that needs to be hauled away from the wastewater treatment plant. Sellers reminded council that the city uses private contractors to haul the sludge, but  this method is rapidly becoming cost prohibitive and the city is considering bringing this task in-house.

The other amendments were:

• $415,000 for site-specific beautification improvement projects
• $78,432 for a senior planner position for the Community Development Department
• $20,000 for DPS laboratory services for the Police Department
• $20,000 for consultant services for the Economic Development Department
• $12,610 to change the parks crew leader position to a parks and trails supervisor
• $5,280 for a 4 percent co-location cost increase for the Police Department