The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting approved a $27,000 contract with a Mamaroneck, N.Y.-based company to repair playground equipment at an Old Norwalk Road park.
The repairs to the Kiwanis Park playground are in line with “a recent inspection report as a part of our annual playground inspection program,” according to Superintendent of Parks Ryan Restivo.
“Funding for this work is available within the Parks [Department’s] capital budget,” Restivo told the selectmen at their April 7 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “If approved, the work will begin as soon as possible.”
First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the contract with Pat Corsetti Inc.
The selectmen asked whether the company’s bid included work at Mead and Dixon Parks (yes), whether the other parks are getting done (in the new fiscal year, yes, minor repairs at those parks), where are the quotes for those projects (the company separated them out) and how old the equipment at Kiwanis is (about 20 years).
Murphy Carroll noted that once they’re in place, playgrounds are a cost in that they need maintenance and must be updated as required by law.
Karl said, “Obviously, you’ve got to have these playgrounds safe and I applaud the idea that we’re going out there and looking at this stuff, because we’ve let some of the playgrounds over the years go a little bit, and this is something that we should be doing every year.”
Parks & Recreation Director John Howe noted that the playgrounds are inspected every year.