[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,85],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6156275,"mediaKeyId","5471044-8dce5a035c065153cf78c0a39aa7a8e5","parentId",5471044,"title","Councilors question previous Field 1 lighting price after new estimates for Field 3","audioSeconds",651,"startMs",99000,"endMs",750000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5471044-8dce5a035c065153cf78c0a39aa7a8e5&start=99&end=750","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5471044-8dce5a035c065153cf78c0a39aa7a8e5/thumbnail_99000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6156275/Lawrence-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Councilors-question-previous-Field-1-lighting-price-after-new-estimates-for-Field-3","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6156275-69c016d0629f7135ed8b072af6602c82/orig.mp4?Expires=1771008975&Signature=TqRY~6AKj-t5NlPog-hXsvOgkr-zvhKw1ABFKtK7e1m1DNglNkgP6L3Y9oS0aibeqbgkvaIF0LmtmE4avbEcXGXEpIhMn4r7L1fFRTItNTzDrlkgMc6OKWbp4AHS0RVSC3WHvJEG1fz7Sl1-DKOJ-HZO11U87yiQUkk6bMRHI6D-3b5rF16HGD8qH9LiNjNCETDOffUx0lnuLftKRJ0qqp1mKcU6ldKepc9AUtSnxjdLiZPmrf8p85j6dloRKTEybhajdVCkOgUavVxh1HddwfRSaK5qwma-5JZjyCFwMMqIwM35aFBy8sRmdsS7MSTXcPIhcObQeruvMyMA2Xux~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lawrence Indiana","date","2025-07-03T00:00:00Z","article","Councilor Carlos Jennings raised concerns about the cost the city paid three years earlier to light Field 1 at Community Park and asked staff to revisit the estimate for lighting Field 3.

Jennings said a prior invoice listing $47,400 for 20 LED lights “seemed a bit high” and asked a vendor contact to review typical fixture pricing and industry practice. “Dollars 47,400 seemed a bit high for 20 LED lights,” Jennings said.

Jason Horner of Horner Lighting (introduced in the meeting as representing Horner Lighting/Horner Automation Group) told the committee fixture prices vary by quality and supplier but said a top-of-the-line fixture typically runs about $1,400–$1,600 per unit (Horner cited $1,598 per fixture in the discussion). Horner said that industry practice often includes markups by installers to cover labor and profit, which can substantially raise a single-source installed price.

Parks Director Eric Martin said the city paid about $68,000 for the Field 1 contract and that installation costs there included labor and use of existing wires and switchgear; he estimated Field 3 would require more or stronger fixtures because it is a larger field and might need 25–30 lights depending on engineering specifications.

Committee members noted additional costs beyond fixture purchase: engineering to specify required lumen levels and pole siting, contractor installation, and potential differences in installer markup. Horner said many suppliers provide in-house photometric engineering or spec guidance and contractors then price the installation.

Jennings and Horner estimated raw fixture costs for 20 fixtures would be roughly $32,000 (about $1,598 each) versus the $47,400 figure on the earlier quote; Martin said previous install labor in that contract appeared to be about $8,600 but could have included other site work. The committee did not vote; members directed staff to obtain engineering specifications and multiple bids before proceeding and to weigh retrofit and sourcing options.

No formal procurement decision was made. The parks director said lighting Field 3 is not the department’s top priority at present but that the city would pursue engineering and updated pricing if the committee places the item higher on the priority list.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lawrence City Common Council Parks Committee 7.2.25","oneSentenceSummary","Councilor Carlos Jennings asked the Parks committee to reassess an earlier $47,400 fixture figure for field lighting after a vendor said raw LED fixture costs are often much lower.","taxTitle","Lawrence City, Marion County, Indiana","taxId",60934,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":44,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":50,"_51":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":83,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":84,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6156280,"Councilors, parks staff discuss ADA-accessible swings and playground upgrades at Community Park",1578,1677000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5471044-8dce5a035c065153cf78c0a39aa7a8e5&start=99&end=1677","/articles/6156280/Lawrence-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Councilors-parks-staff-discuss-ADA-accessible-swings-and-playground-upgrades-at-Community-Park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6156280-8f8f94b95025024e28321227d4cb8a06/orig.mp4?Expires=1771008975&Signature=CNaSbvVPGUF5XkBObhGv8NjYZ3~1GxRgFszJnPoHY5~IgKvFiY7Giu94wOOB-2mpOo4rcn5e1JrIshKe3ASNhN6Bopt5ltIcCjWuyFG4jPvGnJ7ynAHdrAZAgYPIqeCG5w21CpXvr474jRzKQXAOdJ2LyCvgamO47UEXP4kEK1pxQtkLanXmRXXXC~sKf5rV4tcw~8t41L~lB4cvOS9f~lYlmztHRywgEOV7kohoC7~4dt4HTSnAn9puF0Mb-F9NJaCA0XRMUoTlriSBZBMVr27pfE4yWEB8XXQVOSF9KJ7c3ZOa-AXDk46~0ypS~ezF5UuGMU6lqXECjvE~BZngqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilor Betty Robinson said residents and a nearby group serving people with disabilities requested accessible equipment at Community Park, sparking discussion of an ADA-compliant swing and broader playground upgrades.

The request “came to my attention” after residents and a family in the neighborhood raised concerns, Robinson said, adding that staff and she had exchanged information about equipment and costs.

Parks Director Eric Martin presented vendor pricing and site estimates. Martin said a two-seat accessible swing from a vendor identified in the meeting as Willie Goat would cost about $5,600 with shipping and that engineered wood-fiber surfacing for accessibility — described as seven to eight loads totaling 720 cubic yards — had a list price of $17,840.

Martin said the department could install the swing itself and that the unit’s footprint is small enough to fit in multiple locations. He also said a larger retrofit or new playground could cost more: the department had budgeted about $45,000 for a playground at 40th and Richard and could likely secure lower pricing in the fall when manufacturers discount inventory.

Councilors and staff discussed retrofitting existing swing bays to accept accessible swings rather than installing entirely new bays. “We might be able to retrofit the actual swings into a regular bay instead of … put in new equipment,” Martin said, and he agreed to “take a look” at retrofit feasibility and at options beyond swings so sites offer variety for children of differing abilities.

Councilor Lisa Chavis (chairing procedural clarifications) and another attendee noted the council’s discretionary funds must be used for capital improvements; Chavis said council-held funds intended for parks “must be used for capital improvement projects,” and the attorney present said some items are a gray area that would require review to ensure they meet the council’s capital definition.

Councilors suggested waiting until the fall to purchase equipment to take advantage of manufacturers’ seasonal pricing and requested staff return with options for retrofits, cost comparisons, and locations where accessible equipment could be placed. No formal motion or vote was taken.

The parks board and staff also discussed placing accessible equipment at other neighborhood sites, including Explorer Park, Veterans Park and Lee Road Park, and the need to balance new purchases with long‑term maintenance costs given constrained operating budgets.

Staff said they would review retrofit options, pricing, and procurement timing and report back to the committee at a follow‑up meeting.","Lawrence City Parks staff and councilors discussed installing ADA-compliant swings and other accessible playground equipment at Community Park and other neighborhood parks, reviewed vendor estimates and surfacing costs, and agreed to explore fall procurement and retrofit options before deciding on purchases.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6156270,"Parks staff and councilors debate battery-powered equipment and capital‑fund eligibility",941,1418000,2359000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5471044-8dce5a035c065153cf78c0a39aa7a8e5&start=1418&end=2359","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5471044-8dce5a035c065153cf78c0a39aa7a8e5/thumbnail_1418000.jpg","/articles/6156270/Lawrence-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Parks-staff-and-councilors-debate-battery-powered-equipment-and-capitalfund-eligibility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6156270-c7fdf842b828051aa1570deb16de9d04/orig.mp4?Expires=1771008975&Signature=kRK7WXWMVhGpyuQN09geckqwVjbsV-Po2ufq5FNxbCbWu2-gJ-tABaOeANXr58TPyLMtV7HGaKRelGTbsFk~HH~KTiuNkCMbC7xu2YjxJLZJHDnjV6NuKDJn-99z0-JBaTebuZqTa2K22~t1dmaeGmWH8uOvWpvhJSZrwunRefTWZBWUt2q8TPcdNi~kLLjJ6QktSR1uG2-edbX05klqVvst6mvYDePQVQzBK3yU8OrYVgRgDJE8ujndzumHsg-QSgXxue5blikhSBV0Pbx1Z7GFqRbCUSzY5ne9nOyRxq2D0hjI34oEAVUKbUgMlOS5EWlT9mEqxLQevTa3uCbDEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee members and parks staff discussed procuring battery-powered lawn and maintenance equipment to reduce pollution, noise and operating costs, and debated whether such purchases qualify as capital improvements under council funding rules.

A member said battery-powered tools are quieter and produce less pollution and provided examples of battery‑powered blowers and chainsaws already used by staff; Parks Director Eric Martin confirmed the department uses some battery equipment for indoor and small tasks and said heavier jobs may still require gas-powered tools. “We do have some use for them and, we would certainly be willing to try it,” Martin said.

Meeting participants discussed operational trade-offs: battery equipment can require multiple batteries and charging logistics for long jobs, and battery heads/attachments can wear out like gas-powered heads. One parks-affiliated speaker described local vendors using solar-augmented trailers and inverter setups to operate a full battery-powered lawn-care service, but warned upfront costs are high.

Councilor Carlos Jennings and others noted potential long-term savings from reduced fuel and maintenance costs but said the up-front purchase price is significant. Parks board members and staff said typical daily fuel costs for string trimmers are about $10–$14 including oil, and that battery tools might lower ongoing fuel expense but would require evaluation of battery replacement and charging needs.

Councilor Lisa Chavis and the city attorney reminded the committee that council-held funds earmarked for parks must be used for capital improvements; attendees questioned whether supplies such as battery-powered blowers or small tools would meet that definition. The attorney said the capital‑eligibility question is a gray area and would require a legal/finance review.

The committee asked staff to trial battery tools where practical, track fuel and maintenance savings, and report back with recommendations about whether to pursue larger-scale purchase or third‑party battery-powered services. No formal purchase or vote was taken.","Committee members and parks staff discussed battery-powered lawn and maintenance equipment, possible long-term savings and pollution reduction, whether such purchases qualify under council capital‑fund rules, and agreed to trial battery tools and report results.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Councilors question previous Field 1 lighting price after new estimates for Field 3

Councilors, parks staff discuss ADA-accessible swings and playground upgrades at Community Park

Parks staff and councilors debate battery-powered equipment and capital‑fund eligibility