By By Kerry Whipple Bean
publisher
Children will soon be able to get cool in the summer with a new splashpad at Dogwood Hills park.
The Brewton City Council on Tuesday approved funding for a splashpad — a series of water jets on a concrete playing surface for children.
The splashpad will be built next to the gazebo, which was relocated to Dogwood Hills from the City Park, and near the playground and tennis courts, said Dogwood Hills manager Gary Hill.
Because most lifeguards are students, the Dogwood Hills pool only operates about 10 weeks of the year. Hills predicted the splashpad could be open up to eight months, with hours from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. seven days a week.
The city council voted to set aside $170,000 for the project. Hill has seen informal estimates for the splashpad at about $155,000; other costs include additional needs such as electrical hookups, benches and trash cans.
The city also allocated other funds to recreation during Tuesday’s meeting, setting aside $30,000 for a new Sportsman summer recreation program and $100,000 for an as-yet-undetermined project at the Brewton Middle School.
Mayor Ted Jennings said the city has been discussing what to do with proceeds from the sale of land to Brewton City Schools for its new middle school. One project could be a community center at the site of the current school once the school system abandons it.
Councilman Joe Watson was the lone “no” vote on the splashpad project.
In other business, the council:
Jennings said the council would look into the problem.