By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Delavan Common Council on Feb. 20 approved a proposal from Vandewalle and Associates to develop a new parks and open space plan for the city at a cost of $27,085.
Parks and Recreation Director Tom Klug said the plan will provide a great opportunity for the department to gain valuable public input about all the city parks and open space. Klug identified three main parks for which the plan will develop specific detailed plans – Phoenix, Tower and Congdon. Klug said those three parks are prominent parks in the city with many stakeholders.
“We want to know what the public would like to see in those areas that will work for the city,” Klug said.
Klug said the existing plan was created in 2008, and the Parks and Recreation Department must have a plan that is no older than 5 years old to apply for many grants it is interested in. A request for proposal was sent out to 15 firms in 2016 and four responded. Park and recreation staff interviewed the four and selected Vandewalle’s proposal as the best choice.
Administrator Denise Pieroni said Vandewalle’s bid was not only the lowest bid, it was more than $10,000 lower than the second lowest bid from CORRE Inc.
Alderman Bruce DeWitt said another factor in Vandewalle’s favor is the good working relationship the city has with the firm. In a memo to the council, Klug said Vandewalle previously assisted the city with its comprehensive plan and the strategic plan for the downtown area. He said Vandewalle’s involvement in those planning initiatives will add value to this plan.
Alderman Chris Philips said the grants the city might be approved for in the future as a result of having an updated plan will most likely outweigh the costs of creating it. Alderman Ryan Schroeder said having a new plan that will, in part, focus on Tower Park fits in well with the downtown strategic plan.
Mill Pond restrooms
The council approved a renovation plan for the restrooms in the Mill Pond Recreation Center at a cost of $49,895 by GlenFern Construction of Lake Geneva.
Klug said the renovated facility will have exterior entrances that can be accessed by the public even when the Mill Pond is closed. He said the restroom facility near the playground equipment is very old and will likely be removed in the near future.
The recreation center was rebuilt in 1989 using the original 1966 building walls and restrooms. Klug said none of the plumbing fixtures meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards and several are no longer functional.
Klug said the project was originally bid out to be completed last year, but the bids came in too high. The scope of the work to be done was adjusted this year to bring the costs down.
The pre-bid estimate for the project was $71,500. The GlenFern bid came in under budget and was much lower than the $81,200 second-place bid from Gilbank Construction.
Software for police
The council approved a software license and support agreement with Pro Phoenix Software at a cost of $132,845 to provide a new records management system for the police department.
Police Chief Tim O’Neill said the system the department uses is involved in documenting every call that comes into the department. He said the department has been using the system since 1990 and some of its technology is outdated. He also said the system no longer automatically and electronically reports data to the state that now must be done manually. In addition, the new system will link better with other area departments.
