Milbank City Council Approves Construction of Splash Pad

The Milbank City Council met for their regular meeting on March 14, and approved three improvements to the city’s parks, including a splash pad at Hurley Park. The splash pad will welcome patrons free of charge. Similar to other parks in the Milbank, youth will not be supervised.

Hurley Park is located south of Milbank High School at 810 Jefferson Drive. It is already the home of the ice skating rink and includes a log cabin that houses restrooms.

The nearly 78-foot-by-86-foot splash pad comes with an estimated price tag of $450,000. Construction costs will be donated by the Valley Queen Charitable Foundation (VQCF) to the Heart of Milbank Fund. Heart of Milbank is a city fund that uses donated money to construct various projects around town.

Once the project becomes available for use, the ensuing maintenance and cost of repairs become the city’s responsibility. The parks and recreation department estimated ongoing costs to the city will be less than $500 per year and related to staff costs in order to provide for line items such as winterization. In addition, there will be necessary sewer and waterline extensions and the installation of a 1.5-inch meter to service the project. 

The current plan of operation for the splash pad calls for a season of 110 days, using intermittent cycles of water throughout a 10-hour-operating day that amounts to roughly 11,000 gallons per day or 1.2 million gallons of water per season. The estimated annual expense for water is $5,761. The water use estimate employs intermittent cycles as a gauge because the splash pad will be equipped with a sensor to shut off the water 15 minutes after the start button is pushed if the pad is not in use.

Representatives from the VQCF who attended the council meeting, said Hurley Park was chosen in part because the property is close to the schools and will provide easy access for OST.  They also pointed out that it has few trees, which means less dirt and debris will enter the splash pad area. The water used will drain into a nearby pond or into the city’s sewer system. They also noted the water won’t be heated, but will be released at a refreshing 56 to 58 degrees. 

The next step in the project is to complete a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Milbank and the VQCF. The council will then authorize the parks and recreation staff to move forward in obtaining bids for the purchase of materials and installation of the splash pad from Sourcewell.  Sourcewell is a Staples, Minnesota, company that through contracts offers public agencies access to playground equipment, splash pads, waterparks, waterslides, playable fountains, and other aquatic play equipment and related accessories.