BROOKINGS – Construction equipment, dirt piles and sweating crews aren’t what you’d normally see at the Hillcrest Aquatic Center this time of year, but a significant water leak bedeviling the center has the city’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department scrambling to find and fix the problem as soon as possible.
Dusty Rodiek, the department’s director, brought members of the Parks and Rec Board up to speed on the situation at Monday night’s meeting. He was joined by department Superintendent Al Kruse and Recreation Superintendent Stacy Claussen. Some of the points they made included:
• The leak led to the closing of the leisure pool on July 23.
• A significant amount of water in the pool was being lost daily, to the point that they had to nearly replace the volume of the pool every day.
• Kruse said an estimated 90,000 gallons were being lost per day.
• After hours of poring over construction documents and plans and going through a series of tests, the leak was found on July 25 in the pool’s feed line.
• The 8-inch pipe has been in the ground since 2005, and it’s likely a glued joint has come apart at some point along the water line.
“No help is coming from the pool company at this point,” Rodiek said of MC&R Pools, a company the city has used in the past.
He added that the company has been advising on what to do, but just cannot provide any personnel at this point in time. Claussen said that’s partly because the company is suffering from a labor shortage – a 21-employee shortage, to be precise.
Rodiek said that, as of now, all of the work has been done by department staff in an effort to keep the cost low. “We’ll be able to assess the repair costs once we find the (source of the) leak,” he noted.
Members of the Parks and Rec Board also received updates on other projects at Monday’s meeting, including:
Dog park
The new facility, which is at Sexauer Park, is roughly 2.25 acres in size. The concrete is done, and perimeter posts have been installed. The fencing company is expected to arrive next week, and possibly finish its fencing and gate work by third week in August.
The park’s small-dog area is at least twice as large as the existing one.
It’s estimated that work on the park’s shelter could start as soon as this week. The shelter is more or less a rain-and-shade shelter and will not have heat, Rodiek said.
Rodiek added that he thinks the dog park will be available for use later in August. He added that a dedication is also anticipated for later in August or into the first part of September.
Bob Shelden Field
The dedication of the “Play Ball!” sculpture is set for Aug. 30 at 4:30 p.m.
Pickleball courts
The department is in a holding pattern regarding its application for a $125,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant, which consists of federal dollars that are administered through the state of South Dakota, according to Rodiek. The selection committee has not announced any awards as of now.
Rodiek said the total cost of outdoor pickleball complex at Hillcrest Park is expected to be between $300,000 and $325,000.
By the time all is said and done, the thought is that roughly 80% or greater of the materials that will go into the pickleball project will come from American sources.
The courts’ net system was originally intended to be portable so that it could be moved inside, but changes mean the new system will be in-ground in nature. Rodiek specified that it’s more likely to be a fixed-pole system, where the poles are in sleeves so that they can be removed to make way for other events.
Playgrounds
The playground equipment at McClemans Park is scheduled for replacement, but the odds are that it will not occur until next spring. This is because the equipment isn’t scheduled to ship out from a contractor until the end of October, with arrival in the first part of November. That’s too late in season to install the equipment since it will be too cold to pour concrete.
Rodiek said plans are still afoot for the little tykes area at Lions Park, where the department continues to work with the donor on a concept for what the replacement equipment will look like.
Bandshell repair
An 11.1 review was submitted and approved at the local level, according to Rodiek. He said the plan now is to apply for a Deadwood Historical Grant with a maximum award of $10,000.
Rodiek also said he is seeking $80,000 in funding in the department’s 2023 budget request based on initial cost estimates to repair the Pioneer Park bandshell. He added that the overall cost estimate for the bandshell project is likely between $80,000 and $100,000.
The existing stage at the bandshell could be extended to help the community band, but Rodiek said he needs to check to see what restrictions apply to the overall bandshell restoration before anything can happen. It can be repaired or built back, though, to its original condition (or as close as possible). This limitation is because the bandshell is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rodiek wasn’t aware of a desire to make the stage larger when he submitted the 11.1 review, so the process would have to start over.
Hockey performance center
The project is taking place on the east end of the Larsen Ice Center and is making good progress, according to Rodiek. “It’ll be a neat addition to that facility,” he said, adding that ice is now present in the First Bank & Trust rink and that the other rink will not get its ice until Oct. 1.
Rodiek noted that the project is being fully funded by the Brookings Ice Skating Association, and that the estimated cost is just north of $1 million. He said the project’s primary purpose is skills training for youth hockey, and that it will include a weight room, a room with lanes of synthetic ice for shooting practice, some cardio equipment and an area for what is called “dryland training.”
Upcoming programs and events
• Pack the Park: This will be Aug. 10 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Hillcrest Park. Claussen said it will involve jumping houses, snow cones, karaoke, food trucks and yard games. “Bring your kids, your grandkids, and friends and tell your neighbors. Hopefully it’s a nice day. It’s a good time because … it’s right before school starts ... and so it’s something different for the kids and families,” she said. Organizers are looking for volunteers, and the event is free (except for the food).
• Soggy Doggy Day: This will be Aug. 14 at Hillcrest Aquatic Center, and it might use the baby pool if the leisure pool remains unavailable. The event is a fundraiser for the Humane Society.
• National Guard Squad Competition: This will be Sept. 10 at Dakota Nature Park and has been rescheduled from last year. Rodiek said a team from the Rapid City area that will be part of the event has received special permission to arrive in Brookings via Blackhawk helicopters that will land on one of the softball fields. “That will be pretty cool,” he said, while also pointing out that the American Legion will have a pork feed as well, since the event is a community event as well as a squad competition.
Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.
