Installation of a splash pad at Friendship Park was approved by the Picayune City Council during Tuesday’s meeting.
The idea of installing the new park attraction was brought to the council at their last meeting in January by members of Partners for Pearl River County Leadership program.
In that presentation the members said raising funds to build the attraction would be their project, which is a requirement of the program. Once they raise the funds necessary to install the attraction it would then be donated to the city.
During Tuesday’s meeting Public Works Director Eric Morris presented the results of his feasibility study. Morris said that according to his research, if the city used a direct-flow water system as opposed to a circulating water system, the expense to operate and maintain the splash pad would be negligible.
In order to use a circulating system the city would have to install a tank to store and treat the water and a pump to create flow, all of which would be a regular maintenance expense.
With the direct-flow system the only expense would be water usage, which the city produces in house. Gauging on a 24 hour water use, Morris estimated the city’s cost to be about $50 a day, however the splash pad would only be accessible during daylight hours.
He also posed two installation options, one would entail a motion sensor to turn the water on and off, the second would be manually controlled. No decision was made on what type of option would be used during Tuesday’s meeting.
In a separate matter the council approved a motion to apply for grant funding from C Spire to be used at Crosby Commons.
Planning and Zoning Director Diane Miller said the money would be used to add additional features to the planned amphitheater, including a projection screen, electrical hookups and a sound system. She estimated those additions to cost about $250,000, which is the amount the city would request. The grant would not require a match since funds are already set aside to build the amphitheater. The city approved a motion to allow Miller to apply for the grant.
In other matters concerning Crosby Commons, city engineer Brooks Wallace addressed the council about the need for a change order in the development of the park. He said due to the discovery of an undisturbed patch of grass in the park, the city is now required to conduct a cultural resource survey at an additional cost of $2,500. The council approved the change order.
Toward the end of the meeting Charlene Arnold presented the Picayune Fire Department and Picayune Police Department with plaques thanking them for the prompt and professional response to an accident that involved her niece. The accident required the young woman’s extrication, and the emergency responders’ quick response prevented her injuries from being more severe than they could have been, Arnold wrote on the plaques.
In other business the council:
— Acknowledged Councilor Larry Breland’s completion of the third level of the Certified Municipal Official’s Course in Professional Development from the Mississippi Municipal League.
— Approved a request from Coast Electric for the use of acreage in the city’s Industrial Park for staging trucks and materials during emergency situations.
The next council meeting will be Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. in City Hall.