By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
December 28, 2011
For three years, a key piece of equipment has been missing from Budd Park – swing sets.
When the park received several upgrades the swings were removed and couldn’t be replaced due to the city’s budgetary constraints.
City of Kansas City Council Member Scott Wagner knows the value of swings.
“My kids always loved the swing sets when we would come into Budd Park,” Wagner said. “That was the first thing they always wanted to go to was the swings. And they continue to no matter what park we go to.”
To fill that void, Wagner asked the city’s Capital Projects Department to search for available funding, which they found in the Northeast Industrial Area Improvements fund.
City Council members passed an ordinance Dec. 15 to use $50,000 from the fund for Budd Park improvements, which includes two swing sets, installing a rubberized play surface and using leftover monies for graffiti abatement.
Currently, the project is in the pre-engineering phase with installation slated to begin this spring, Wagner said. Each play area will now have one set of swings and a rubberized play area.
“I know for kids swings are a lot of fun and it’s an important aspect of any playground area,” Wagner said. “The old neighborhood president in me was very gratified to see this.”
