Brookhaven’s progress toward being a park city continues, saidRecreation Department Director Terry Reid at Tuesday night’s boardof aldermen meeting.

Reid said seven bids had come in for playground equipment on theBethel Park project. Bids ranged from just under $40,000 to justunder $90,000.

“Mrs. Wilson always said she wanted the same thing they have atBicentennial Park,” said Reid, adding that only one company wasable to offer the identical equipment.

Wilson, who was not in attendance Tuesday night, has been adriving force in pushing the Bethel Park project forward from thebeginning.

Jefcoat, the company that is able to offer the playgroundequipment similar to Bicentennial’s, Reid said, offered a bidaround $69,000. Reid said in addition to being the equipment Wilsonwanted for her ward, the equipment was also larger than thatoffered by the other bids.

“The board wanted to make it the same, and this bid would makeit identical,” Mayor Bob Massengill said.

Reid said there is $100,000 in the budget from the MississippiDevelopment Authority, and there would be plenty of money to finishthe project including things like the concrete anchors if Jefcoat’sbid was approved. In order to get the grant from the MDA, cityofficials had to prove there would be enough volunteers to erectthe playground.

“This is just the physical pieces of playground that we’ll puttogether,” said Reid. “Our match on this is volunteer labor.”

The board voted unanimously to accept Jefcoat’s bid. Reid saidthe delivery of the equipment could be between four and fiveweeks.

“That would put us at the end of January or the first ofFebruary, and by March we could start construction and have itready for summer,” he said.

In addition to the Bethel Park progress, Reid also said thespray park at Bicentennial Park is almost complete.

“We poured the concrete at Bicentennial today, and ran the waterover there,” Reid said, adding that the landscaping is all thatremains to be done. “It’s pretty impressive when all that waterstarts coming in from everywhere.”

The spray park has four features, but there are 14 heads thatwill shoot water from the ground and the obstacles.

“We’re not going to have an age limit are we?” said Ward FourAlderwoman Shirley Estes, laughing.

“If you can get out there, you can play in it,” Reid said.

Following a discussion at the Dec. 2 aldermen meeting, Ward FiveAlderman D.W. Maxwell added that he had heard from several peoplewho were concerned that there would not be restrooms put in atBicentennial and Bethel parks. Maxwell said he wanted to make itclear that the city has not given up on adding restrooms.

“I’ve had some calls about that, and Terry (Reid) said he hashad some calls, too,” Maxwell. “It’s not that we’re not going tobuild the restrooms, we’re just not paying over $50,000 a pieceunless we have to. We want a more reasonable price to save the citysome money.”

Massengill agreed.

“We’re just trying to look at other options. We’re not sayingthere won’t be restrooms,” he said.