Wichita City Council approves raising cost of private tows, but questions payment plan
21 March 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A 30-year-old playground in south Wichita is ready for an upgrade.
On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council voted in favor of funding improvements to the west playground at O.J. Watson Park, 3022 South McLean Blvd. The Council also agreed to fund a playground at Pract Wetlands Park, near Maize Road and 29th Street North.
Tim Kellams, with Wichita Public Works and Utilities, called the west playground equipment at O.J. Watson Park obsolete.
“If you’ve been to some of our other parks, you know that this one is fairly outdated,” he told Council members. “We have a lot of great playgrounds in the city, and we like to make sure that we get all of our playgrounds up to that high standard that we have.”
The City says the playground’s sand safety surface is not accessible to all users. Also, finding replacement parts for the 30-year-old play system is difficult and costly.
Kellams also said the City plans to add an interpretive playground and a shelter at Pracht Wetlands Park, 9926 West 29th Street North.
The City’s adopted 2023-2032 Capital Improvement Program includes $400,000 in 2023 for playground rehabilitation and development.
Kellams said that is enough for the two parks and any other playground repairs that are identified through inspections this year.
The Wichita City Council approved the projects and budget on a vote of 7-0.
Kellams said that the City will put out a request for proposals, looking for vendors to bid on the projects. However, he does not have a timeline for when the playgrounds will be finished.