City looks at how to cut costs on its splash pads

Hamilton is looking at how it builds splash pads in an effort to trim a few thousand dollars every time it builds one an effort one councillor says will save millions of dollars.

City staff will look at having the same company that builds splash padsalso design them. A recent splash pad project at Bruce Park involvedhiring three consultants one to design the pad, one to do the landscape architecture and a third to oversee construction.

That should all just be the same company, said Donna Skelly of Ward 7, who's taken this on as a pet issue. And given that there are 62 splash pads and two in the works, this is costing millions.

Two Hamilton splash pad projects are on track to exceed $600,000,twice the amount of similar projects in some other cities, she said.

Skelly had compiled numbers that show that in London, for example, prices come in around $370,000. In Mississauga, a splash pad of 88 square metres costs $222,000.

"We're spending money where I don't think we need to be spending money," Skelly says.

Skelly, who is running for provincial election in June, has highlighted numerous issues this year where she feels the city could save money. That includes a CityHousing Hamilton parking lot and the Hamilton Waterfront Trust. While some have applauded Skelly's efforts, others say she's politicking to raiseher own profile.

Skellyprompted the staff report Monday, which says Hamilton is in the middle in terms of what cities spend to build spray pads.

Cynthia Graham, city manager of landscape architectural services, said Hamilton splash pads cost about as much as in other cities, except other cities build larger splash pads and achieve economies of scale.

Skelly went to a splash pad builder herself last week and got the company Nirbo Aquatic Inc. to draw up its own proposal.

Skelly wants the Bruce Park splash pad to be a "pilot project" for the concept of one company designing and building the splash pad. The project would follow city procurement rules.

City staff will report back to city council on Nov. 22.