Leawood’s June 16th meeting of the Leawood Governing Body started off with Councilmembers unanimously rejecting a resolution to move forward with the installation of a new splash pad at the Aquatic Center at 106th and Lee Boulevard.
Earlier this year, Leawood began soliciting bids for the design and installation of a new splash pad at the Aquatic Center. The current one, which was constructed in 2002, has been deemed by the City to be at the end of its use, with operational issues and incidents of malfunctioning having increased during recent summer pool seasons.
The Parks, Recreation & Arts Department had budgeted the project to replace the splash pad at $750,000, a number that raised several eyebrows throughout the City’s Governing Body on Monday night. Ward 3 Councilmember, Rachel Rubin, was one of many voices who expressed discomfort with the price tag (and uncertainty as to how the Parks staff arrived at the number), and expressed a need for caution around spending, be it for splash pads, or other forms of discretionary spending…