Playgrounds a city spending decision

It’s not exactly guns versus butter, but it’s a question of public priorities nevertheless.
City Council Ward 2 member Germaine Simpson got the discussion started at October’s meeting, when she asked for consideration of a proposal to put new playground equipment at Southeast Park, in her district.
By the end of the discussion, the subject of parks and playground equipment had been forwarded for study by her, Recreation Director George Schneider and Mayor Rusty Moody.
The Southeast offer included some matching funds from GameTime Inc., which provides playgrounds.
Under the proposal, the city could get about $75,000 worth of for about $57,000.
A couple of problems immediately cropped up.
At-large member Jack Burson pointed out any purchase over $50,000 would required a public bid process.
Secondly, it was noted that there is currently no allocation in the budget for such a purpose.
Ward 3 member Scott Fontenot, agreeing that equipment is needed at Southeast, also noted that other city parks need playground attention.
Simpson said she is seeking a way to refurbish Southeast, but has no issue with including all the city’s parks.
Ward 1 member Roland Miller noted that a playground created in that district during the current administration term was the result of his working with legislators to obtain state funds, that no city money involved.
Simpson said that is an example of what can be done, and said she thinks the city needs to find a way to get started on upgrading playgrounds.
She noted that the city sometimes spends thousands of dollars on equipment and that she thinks money can be found if the council really wants to upgrade the playgrounds.
Burson suggested an organized approach be formulated after Simpson, Schneider and Moody get their heads together.
Moody agreed last week that the playgrounds need attention, but said the cost is a major consideration.
The playground discussion comes at what could be considered a pivotal point in city finances.
The city last month called bonds due on its recreation project, retired them and is now debt-free. The payment also freed some money earmarked for the bond sinking fund in the current budget.
The city also now has, thanks to voters’ approval last May, the option to use up to 10 percent of a sales tax collection for “emergency needs”, with the definition of emergency loosely defined.
So, a little fiscal flexibility is the good news.
The bad is an aging infrastructure.
Improvements initiated in the years following World War II -- the gas distribution system, the sewerage collection system -- are at, or beyond, their reasonable life expectancy.
Sooner or later, a planned replacement program, rather than emergency repair of this, that or the other, has to begin.
Additionally, employees have not had much in the way of pay rate changes in recent years, and the fringe benefit costs of those employees is growing exponentially.
Parks and playgrounds, on the other hand, are extremely important to families in the city’s various neighborhoods. They want clean, safe and secure facilities.
Every neighborhood would like a park like Circle Park, the showcase playground on Park Avenue, one that draws from all parts of the city.
But even that park has not been immune to the vandalism and criminal damage which takes place after hours at the parks as after-hours patrol of the parks by an under-manned police department seems to be low priority.
Guns or butter?