Council Gets Update On Pine Street, Splash Park

The Bourbon City Council received an update October 15 on the Pine Street project and the beginnings of a possible splash park.

Pine Street

As reported in last week’s issue of the Independent News, work has started on Pine Street. The city has begun doing its in-kind work as promised in the $500,000 community development block grant. 

Public works employee Mark McEuen told the board that a section of new curbing and guttering is going in and they hope to have it completed by the end of this week.

The curbing will go to the buildings at 251 Pine Street.

McEuen said three to four feet of road was removed and it has been lowered. 

Mayor Dave Lafferty said he wants to see bids going out for the construction of the road as early as next spring.

Pavement, Lafferty said, would hopefully be laid by April or May.

Workers are discovering several issues as they dig out sections of the road. McEuen said there are sewer lines that shouldn’t exist. They are putting clean outs in that will help find the correct lines. 

Splash Park

Park board president Steve Pasch addressed the council over a possible splash park that would be installed at the park.

The park board won a $5,000 grant through Impact 100 in September and the money must go towards the splash park.

“We want to start by June,” Pasch said. “We don’t need the project completed, but we want blueprints.”

The city participated in a community betterment project with students from Missouri S&T earlier this year.

Two groups of students drew up plans for a splash park and Pasch said they may get the engineering students involved.

Pasch made clear that Bourbon is not trying to compete with Sullivan.

The park board is hoping to keep the project costs between $9,000 and $10,000 with a possibility of going even lower.

“We think we can move things around and come in under,” Pasch said.

The park board wants to put “pencil to paper” and come up with a good plan, but Pasch said they wanted the board’s approval.

“As far as I’m concerned, we go ahead,” Lafferty said.

McEuen asked how the city would provide the water. If it’s reclaimed water, it would have to be treated. 

Pasch said that would be taken into consideration and part of the planning process. 

“We want to be aware of waste and liability,” he said.

The splash park would ideally be opened through different periods throughout the day to curtail excessive water usage.