Watertown Council to Consider $526K Purchase for New Inclusive Playground at McKinley Park
- Steve Jurrens
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council on Monday night will consider approving a $526,247 purchase for a new ADA‑accessible playground at McKinley Park, a major upgrade that would replace the park’s aging equipment and expand its inclusive play area.
The proposal appears on the June 15, 2026, consent agenda and comes from Parks, Recreation & Forestry Director Dusty Rodiek.
According to the agenda documents, the project would install a fully accessible playground system designed to connect with the park’s existing ADA play features. The new layout includes a 99-by-70‑foot footprint, “pour‑in‑place” rubber surfacing, and curbing to fully enclose the play area.
“The scope of this project is to install a new ADA playground system at McKinley Park. This playground will replace the aging playground and will connect the existing ADA playground,” the agenda item states.
Funding and Budget Impact
The project was budgeted in the 2025 Park & Recreation Capital Improvement Fund at $590,000. The city’s share is $250,000, paired with a $250,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant and approximately $28,000 from the Optimist Club.
With the Sourcewell contract price of $526,247, the project comes in below the approved budget.
What the Purchase Includes
The purchase would be made through My Turn Playsystems using Sourcewell Contract #101625‑BUR. The proposal includes:
Burke playground equipment
ADA‑compliant surfacing
Freight
Turnkey installation by a certified playground safety inspector
The agenda notes that the city must have the site rough‑graded and is responsible for curbing around the playground area.
Project Oversight
If approved, the project will be overseen by:
Dusty Rodiek, Parks, Recreation & Forestry Director
Matt Brandsrud, Parks and Forestry Superintendent
The council will vote on the item as part of Monday night’s consent agenda.
