April 5, 2022–1:00 p.m.
STAFF REPORTS
Plans for a new splash pad at Banty Jones Park were discussed during Tuesday’s city-county Joint Services Committee.
Rome Community Development Director Bekki Fox said the splash pad is part of an overall reworking of the park and would tie into a redevelopment plan for East Rome.
“As part of the redevelopment plan with the consultants out of Chicago, in partnership with the housing authority, they drew up this plan,” she said. “A lot of this had citizen participation, lots of surveys, and a lot of input from the people who live in this area about what they would like to see in a park. So, this is not something we just dreamed up. This was an ask from the neighborhood.”
Fox said the city will be able to fund the $750,000 to install the splash pad.
The county recreation department is being asked to provide the estimated $16,000 to $17,000 in annual operational costs.
County Manager Jamie McCord said that the cost sounds reasonable,
“I don’t think this is going to be a hard sell with this grand plan,” he said. I think we, as a county commission, would need to see that.”
It was suggested that a presentation regarding the plans be made during an upcoming county commission caucus.