The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council last Wednesday gave the green light to purchase a new playground for the Preston Park.

City staff members had also wanted to install an elementarysized basketball court, but the court was not approved.

Both projects would have cost the city $40,000. Real estate excise tax money will be able to cover the playground.

City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the city has been slowly making improvements to Preston Park and with how popular the most recent addition of playground equipment is, the city staff members have wanted to add even more.

The real estate excise tax brings in about $10,000 each year that the city can use on facility improvements. Hinchliffe said $3,500 from citizens has already been raised for the upgrades. City Councilman Marty Dunn said he was concerned about spending so much facilities money on playground equipment.

Councilman Scott Nettles said he wanted to see specifi- cally where the concrete slab for the basketball court would go in the park. He is also worried about older kids being lured to the park by the basketball courts and damaging the other park equipment. Nettles said there are two basketball hoops near the middle school and that's enough.

Councilman Karl Newell said he is on board for improving the park, but did not support the basketball court this time around.

Councilman Orville Branson said instead of adding the basketball court too, some of the money should be put toward spraying the BMX bike track that has been neglected.

With only putting in the playground equipment and not the basketball court, Hinchliffe said there would be no funding issues and the city would already be able to cover 20 percent that cost with donations.

The council unanimously voted to approve the purchase of the playground equipment. It was added to the motion that some of this money would be used to spray the BMX track.

Newell said Thursday morning the city did not approve the basketball court at this time, but that does not mean it is off the table forever.