Plans to renovate an Ellsworth playground are slowly moving forward, though construction has been delayed to 2027 after the city enacted a discretionary spending freeze this spring.
Ellsworth will finalize a design to renovate the 22-year-old playground at Knowlton Park, but is not promising any financial obligation now.
City staff were going to propose a contract to begin construction this spring until a citywide discretionary spending freeze paused the project. The freeze followed several departments reporting significant overtime overages, including fire and police.
The anticipated upgrade replaces the existing playground with a cabled climbing system as its centerpiece.
The project is estimated to cost around $484,950, though that figure could change with future project adjustments, according to city officials.
After tabling the matter at their March meeting, the Ellsworth City Council voted 6-1 Monday to acknowledge GameTime, a nationwide playground equipment manufacturer, as the preferred vendor for the future upgrade. Councilor Patrick Shae opposed the motion.
City staff now intend to present council with a final proposal — and request any funding not covered by grants and fundraising — in the fall for construction to begin in spring 2027, according to Roddy Ehrlenbach, the city’s parks and recreation director.
At that time, the city will ask the council to enter into a contract with GameTime, the highest-ranking vendor identified by the city’s bid request process.
In the meantime, staff will assemble a committee of community members to assist with the project’s final design, Ehrlenbach said.
The parks director clarified that the city is not signing a contract right now. Rather, the council’s acknowledgement allows Ellsworth to preserve the terms of the request for proposal, ensuring it does not have to put the project back out to bid next year, he added.