PERRYSBURG — Three city parks will be receiving playground upgrades with American Rescue Plan Act funds totalling $1.5 million.

In a 5-1 vote at Tuesday’s meeting, council awarded the bid to DWA Recreation for playground equipment at Municipal Park, Bicentennial Park and Woodlands Park.

Mayor Tom Mackin commented on the price, comparing the playgrounds to the new Perrysburg Inclusive Playground at Rotary Community Park, which cost $880,000 to build.

“If you go to the current all-inclusive park, the joy of the interaction and the use indicate to me that it is worth it to me to commit to building another high quality park,” Mackin said. “I think we know better now how to do certain things, to make it more fun, to make it more interactive and to make it a welcoming place, which is what it’s intent was.”

He also talked about the various materials to make it more accessible and to make it safer.

The playground surface will no longer be covered with mulch, but will have a solid rubberized product, which requires removal of some current structures, as well as excavation and replacement with stone underlayment.

Part of the design process for the park specifications included consultation with the Ability Center, for advocacy on Americans with Disability Act compliance. Mackin compared it to Fort Imagination in Woodlands Park, which was built in 1997.

“One of the things both the Advocacy Group and the Ability Center pointed out to us was that Fort Imagination, which did meet ADA compliance when it was built, was that it wasn’t a very effective park for people with disabilities,” Mackin said.

He pointed out that mulch is very difficult to get around in, for wheelchairs or walkers.

On Tuesday, there was some discussion and controversy about a mistake in the bid documentation that was recognized by a bidder the day before bids were due.

Perrysburg Administrator Bridget Kabat said that there was not time to add an addendum to the plans. The concern was that the stone base, on the section with the poured rubber surface may have been underestimated with a line left off documentation for Woodlands Park.

“We were a little concerned about it going back out to bid, with the current market, so we did the extrapolation,” Kabat said.

The engineer then extrapolated submitted bid numbers and found that DWA was still the lowest bidder.

Because the extrapolation methods were consistent with both bidders, Law Director Kathryn Sandretto said, “I don’t believe this affected the fairness of the bid.”

The resolution also authorized the finance director to approve all change orders not to exceed 10%, for a total project amount of $1.65 million.

Councilman Barry VanHoozen voted against awarding the bid.

“I’ve been consistent with this since the beginning of discussions on the recreation committee. These are funds that will never be repaid and I think that this should be for the benefit of our grandchildren and our children, for many years into the future, not for a short-term playground set,” VanHoozen said.

Councilman Cory Kuhlman was absent.