Despite control deficiency, new Hart Park splash pad will cool kids off tonight

The splash pad at the new Hart Park playground will be operational during the Tosa Tonight concert this evening so kids can cool off while their parents take in the music.

"Barring a malfunction, the intent is to have it operational during events (at the Rotary Performance Pavilion) and in extreme weather like we have now," City Administrator James Archambo said today.

Unfortunately, for now, the splash pad will have to be turned off manually when no one is using it. That's not the functional design the city intended, however. The wrong control panel was installed by contractors.

"Right now its simply on or off," Archambo said.

Due to concerns about wasting water, the city's Parks and Forestry staff had temporarily turned the pad off.

A new control panel is on order. Once the correct panel is installed, a child will be able step on the button and the fountains will spray on and off to varying heights and pressures for a set time period, then shut off.

In the meantime, the contractor is trying to find a way to program the existing device to operate more closely to the norm, Archambo said.

City officials will look at the pavilion schedule and coordinate the splash pad's operation until the replacement panel gets installed.