With the majority of its $2 million capital improvement plan for the current fiscal year still in progress, the Town’s Community Services department is proposing a $4.3 million plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

The largest of those planned projects is a $2.5 million upgrade to the sports field lighting at Golden Eagle Park. In outlining the plan to the Town Council at its Feb. 22 planning retreat, Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin said this project has been identified in the capital plan for four years.

“We are currently spending $25,000 or more annually for maintenance, and more failures are expected,” Goodwin told the council. “These lights are past their life expectancy and the maintenance costs are increasing each year.”

Vice Mayor Alan Magazine said he would need to be convinced for $2.5 million.

Goodwin said there is no active warranty on the existing lights, with the maintenance costs increasing. “That is our biggest concern right now,” she added.

The new lights would have a 20-year warranty and the operational savings would provide a projected return on investment within those 20 years.

The transition to LED lighting would translate to big savings in energy costs, and Goodwin said staff would reach out to SRP for any rebate opportunities they might offer.

Parks Superintendent Kevin Snipes told the council that the payout on energy costs drops significantly with the use of LED lighting. He also said staff has received numerous complaints about the lighting and the new design would offer better directional lighting and cut down on spillover.

Councilman Mike Scharnow asked whether the project could be phased. Goodwin said the plan would be to divide the project over two fiscal years. That is easily and often done by starting work in late spring or early summer to bring the June 30 end of one fiscal year in the middle of the project construction.

Staff has been working with Musco Lighting on planning the work.

Other projects

Staff has also included a remodel and expansion of the Desert Vista Skate/Bike Park facility. This project would include $400,000 from the capital budget and an additional $275,000 in development fees.

Goodwin noted the concrete surfaces need repair with cracking and chipping creating safety concerns. The park will be improved to meet current standards and enhance usability for skateboards, bikes and scooters.

The Town recently hosted a successful Skateboard Classic Tournament at the park and hopes to hold similar events in the future.

Staff is also proposing construction of a Centennial Pavilion shade structure at a cost of about $375,000. This structure would be installed at the center of the Centennial Circle at the Civic Center campus. The project would include an 80-foot, lighted custom shade canopy and landscape improvements to provide outdoor gallery and entertainment space.

“This is not just Rachael’s ‘wish list,’” Goodwin said. “This proposal is based on community feedback.”

Between the recent closure for Community Center improvements and the pandemic restrictions, people were looking for alternative outdoor spaces for activities and events, according to Goodwin.

This is considered underutilized space and the enhancement could allow for more use.

Magazine noted he sees this as a nice-to-have project, but asked what would be sacrificed to allow for it. Mayor Ginny Dickey noted that the presentations they were hearing at the retreat were preliminary lists that would change through budget process, and often projects are deleted or deferred depending on funding availability.

Goodwin noted that the canopy project is supported by the Dark Sky Committee, Public Art Community, Library, Museum and Community Center staff.

Other projects included on the Community Services CIP program are shade structures adjacent to Golden Eagle Park ballfields ($150,000), lighting for Fountain Park playgrounds ($170,000), Fountain Park playground shade structure pole straightening (up to $41,000), park sidewalk replacement or repair ($100,000), Four Peaks Park playground lighting ($135,000), final Four Peaks Park improvements ($100,000), Desert Vista Park improvements including turf enhancements ($265,000) and Desert Vista Park Dog Park regrading to improve drainage ($75,000).

Capital improvement projects are considered as part of the annual budget process and include a normal bidding process and final council approval of any contracts.