Wood River City Council Meeting
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WOOD RIVER - Plans have changed for a dog park in downtown Wood River after the City Council on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, rejected the only bid it received for the project.
According to the resolution, the city only received one bid for the project from RCS Construction, Inc. of East Alton. The total estimated cost of their proposal was $370,545, which “far exceeded the amount budgeted by [the] city for the project.”
As previously reported on Riverbender.com, the City Council voted in October to pursue the creation of a dog park and pocket park at 217-223 E. Ferguson Ave.
City Manager Steve Palen said at the time Economic Development funds had been budgeted based on estimates of $100,000 for the dog park and $150,000 for the pocket park. As of Monday’s meeting, his estimate for both parks remained over $100,000 based on the bid from RCS.
Palen said he still intends to build the dog park and pocket park using City of Wood River crews - except for work on the concrete and fencing, which will have to be contracted out as the city lacks those capabilities.
While the city isn’t set to receive any grant funds for either project, Palen said $500,000 in Economic Development funds have been set aside for various downtown improvements, including both parks.
While he was initially in favor of the project, Councilman Bill Dettmers said he hasn’t heard from one resident in support of the dog park. Among other concerns, he questioned how often it would be used and expressed further hesitancy upon learning there were no grant funds available for either park project.
Palen responded that he’s heard positive feedback from some community members. He added that downtown dog parks are “becoming a thing” in local communities, as it contributes to their walkability. From an economic development standpoint, both parks would aim to draw in dog-walkers and pedestrians, encouraging them to visit local businesses.
After some further discussion, the resolution to reject all bids for the dog park project was unanimously approved.
A full recording of the Nov. 18, 2024, Wood River City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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