Town Council - workshop
The Town Council held a workshop to review eight proposals for new playground equipment, with a budget of $700,000. After presentations and discussions focusing on shade, surfacing, and play features, the Council unanimously selected Miracle of South Florida and directed staff to work with them on design modifications.
About this meeting
- Government Body
- Town Council
- Meeting Type
- Town Council
- Location
- Golden Beach, FL
- Meeting Date
- April 14, 2026
Published excerpts
Only published remarks appear here. The full transcript is not published.
199 sections (from 213 segments)
Yep. Meeting officially called to order. Playground Equipment Installation Workshop called for 11 a.m. And we're pretty close, 11.05. Meeting officially called to order.
Okay, quick little notes. Today we have eight presentations. The presenters will have 10 minutes each, okay? As I just mentioned to the council, what I would do is next to each name, so you remember, because there's a lot to remember, I would rate them, and my scale is three different things. One is aesthetics, two is usability, whether it's usable for kids of different ages, Three is cost. So, you know, just so you remember. So when we go through the discussion items, you can remember that. So what we're going to do is we give them 10 minutes to present. And I'm going to limit questions to li
Well, they're going to come in different costs.
Thank you. Go back to the slide. What was the total cost? $699? Correct. I can't see that. Now I'm going to open it up to questions for the council. Start with Vice Mayor. Okay.
Question, have you ever, is there another park that has that structure currently?
I have turf from my house and it really doesn't get that hot. I have it back in the front.
A question about the turf. Why do you choose the turf instead of the rubber pads?
I think I saw one swing set for both age groups. Am I right about that?
And one last question. Was there any thought put into where family would be seated to be able to watch the children?
It's the same. It's the green-looking stuff you roll out.
Question for you. On the shade, what mile an hour winds can the shade stay up to? What is it?
Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Any public, since you're here, any questions?
I was in my car watching this on the way to the meeting. But anyway, and I'm coming from a skin cancer doctor, as Councilman Bernstein well put. Shade, and as we do our learning curve and go through this process, I think we're going to find that shade is a very important component to this, and having two grandchildren And going through a five and a two-year-old for the last five years and spending a lot of time, that shade is critical. It is so critical when you're out there. For the little kids, if you don't have it shaded, it's worthless. Second thing, the turf, whatever you want to call it.
And approximately how much a square foot are we talking about when it comes to that?
And if a dog defecates on it, or an animal?
Ben, I have it on my house, and you pick it up and wash it, it's done. Yeah.
It goes through. It's porous. It's all porous, yeah.
And can you use a pressure washer on this thing, or is that too abrasive on the turf?
It would be a light pressure wash. Did Williams Island, did you happen to do Williams Island because they put a turf in recently?
We have someone asking a question if it's soccer pitch grade turf.
Can you get a picture of the park? Yeah, he had it up on the screen. Go ahead and put it up. If you want to print out. Do you have a mic?
The height of that object, that's 21 feet tall. Is there any danger to that? Has that been trial tested? How many of those have been out in the field?
There's a couple of homes in Golden Beach.
Welcome. I want to remind you guys you have 10 minutes. So we're on a tight schedule. Can we just hand out our presentation? You can hand out, yes.
Hi, my name's, good morning, Mayor, Council. Speak in the mic, because everyone can hear you.
Hey, Alex, one thing before we go to question. We talked about before, but none of the presenters have it. We talked about some type of water feature, maybe like a mister.
Okay. All right. With that, I'm going to start questions. Vice Mayor first.
Quick question. Can you change the are there different design options? In other words, if it's not a pirate ship, can we have different options?
Are all the pieces of equipment have coastal coating?
Okay. And the metal ones, they're powder coated? Is that it?
Thank you. Councilman Einstein. Thanks for being here today. Real quickly, I'm just going to refer to this as the first page. It looks like you're... The second page is another rendition. I don't know how much equipment we're getting. Is the first and second page... It's different angles of the equipment. Okay. When I look at the first and second page, the white... Support staffs there. Looks very spiky to me. It looks like you got a lot of white rods coming up from the ground. I know you need that for support, but is it because they're in white? Can they be toned down?
But does anyone else? Can you look in that bin?
I understand, just to my eye, looking at this photo. So those are two angles of that. I guess in the brown, it's less pronounced than on the white. But when the white is out there, it just looks like I'm looking at pungy sticks from Vietnam. Is the bench on page four, right in that right-hand corner?
So there's really no back support on that bench, is that correct?
There's no extra charge, but that has no support and that is what that bench looks like. That's correct. It has like four little legs on it, or I think they're little, but, and that's your top quality.
Ben, what's your question? Did they discuss the turf?
I can't believe you're anti-pirate, too. Well, Mayor, pirates have a reputation for being swindlers and scammers. I was going to wear a patch, too.
Believe it or not, it came up. Alex, you're over your question limit.
I like pirates, personally. Approximate cost per square foot of the turf. Approximate cost?
Every component is all rounded edges, correct?
Ladies, you've been patient. Any questions? Can we give you the mic? Oh, I didn't even know you had a hand. Just introduce yourself so everyone knows.
There'll be a pirate there to save them.
Thank you. We're on a time constraint. So with that, I'm going to close it. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for your questions. Thank you. Next presenter.
Ben, do that outside. We need to get the next presenter. We'll get John Bell to come in.
You could put mermaids. Yes. With the pirates. Oh, and then the boys would be insulted. You could have the pirates. Yeah, you could do both.
But if they don't forget about the transgenic.
Guys, welcome. Just want to remind you guys, you're on a 10-minute time constraint, and we're sticking to it.
How high is the structure on on the option be.
They look higher than the... Yeah, they're... They're really high.
Okay. Okay, Councilman Bernstein. Anything else? Councilman Bernstein?
Yeah, I agree with you that that ladder is a challenge for a two or three year old. I've been chasing them for the last five years. You know, they're going to fall through that their chin, whatever. Sure. And that can be changed if you wish. I understand the things like a ladder that they kind of climb across that feature in these.
No, or five to 12. Yes. Can you show me that if you have that kind of feature? Five to 12. Where they, you know, because the kids like to hang at various rods and do, and so far this is the first one that has that. Do they have it?
Yeah. But the kind that they, you know, you hang on it and you put your legs.
Well, stop, go back. Real quick, while you're on that, the shade structures, are those made out of the same material?
And there was a thought, because I think I, when I thought with you yesterday, town manager, you said that they were thinking of repurposing the shade structure we have currently at Tweedle park. I think you see it. They have a little area like the village something where you the window Oh real quickly and I'm just saying this as an aside I know we're probably it might be a turf or other type of structure We may want to think about a little area of cement Where you can do chalk and they can draw with chalk on that area. That's a big there's exterior sidewalk in those areas Okay, that's a big p
Yeah. And I see it's all turf, but we somewhere down the road.
You could spin the kid and then put him on there. Twist him around.
And our old park has a spinner. Pirate grandparent. Our old park has a spinner. And as you can see, like I said, we have...
I know you've been waiting patiently. Do you have any questions? No? Perfect. Thank you, guys. Really appreciate it. Have a good day. Good presentation.
Can I ask a quick question? Absolutely. So out in Vail in Colorado, they had a thing you held on, and it took you around in a circle. I mean, it looks dangerous, but that was quite a feature.
The turf you're in sewing, approximately per square foot? Yours is $10, and it is the Shaw product.
You bring the sandwiches in so we can eat while they talk?
Interesting that everybody is showing muted colors. All muted colors. Like greens, like blues. It's irrelevant. None of those primary red, white, and blue.
I don't think any of them knew what their cost per square foot first guy said 35. I think I think it's wrong Yeah
I mean, I'm just giving grades one to five. Welcome, guys.
slide in there benster how's your appointment go recording stopped by ear you know whatever good guy
We did it with a company that does it. Literally, we're on a plane, and we would stay either one or two nights in every camp.
Yeah, my ear gets, he's going to do it, and I'll come in next Tuesday. Tuesday, 1 o'clock. And he doesn't want to do the arm training. I can't award it.
I thought it was a chicken. I didn't know what I got. I think it was called the chicken mix.
But the wind, the prevailing wind blew it all away.
Ken wasn't going to do it. I don't care what he says. He was going to chicken out on that.
I'm still going to do it. Don't forget, I'm used to being in planes, just not jumping out of them. I have my pilot's license.
First time I ever jumped out of one, yeah.
I don't know if I do it from a diving, a skydiving, a hokey, if you know what I mean.
I was really surprised that I was the only one on council.
Thank you for the opportunity. Go on. Speak in the mic, please.
And the smaller kids' playground only has three swings, right?
Our park now when the kids are there, there's always they're always using the swings there Are they somebody there on the belt swings as well, too?
So does that two-to-five structure, I want to see the inside of that.
Approximately what square footage? What's the perimeter?
The tower that you have, how high is that?
No, the other one, the big one. That's higher than seven feet.
Yeah, real quick. You talked about the zip lines coming in different lengths. What length are you proposing on this one? 40. 40. It comes to 60, though, too, right? Yes, it does. Okay, so on a 40, approximate cost on that? We can get it from the bid sheet, I assume.
Okay. Just for councils, when we finalize everything, swings are big. You don't want to wait around for your kid to, you know, screaming and hollering, wanting to use the swing. When there's waiting lists, you can attest to that. There can be a lineup, your two-year-old, three-year-old. I want to swing, and the parents are trying to jostle the thing. So three swings aren't going to make it. That's not going to do it. You're just never going to make it.
Just so when we... Yeah, you have enough room for... Park benches, what do you have here figured in your bid? How many places to sit down are...
Okay. Another thing we need to consider is benches. That could be an add-on or whatever, but benches are people need to sit somewhere.
Do we have any ladder features where they go across? It's hard to see from the illustration.
That cuby thing that you were showing before, you had a kid sitting in the middle of it and a kid climbing over him and it was an opening.
What happens if that kid falls down on top of that?
Can you back up one more where you have the cubes?
I mean, I like the cubes. It's hard to tell.
There's a kid climbing on one No, no, no, no No No, I don't see any kids now there was a kid call it is that it the cubo corner Want to keep it moving sorry I
Right. Thank you, guys. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate your presentation. Thank you. Appreciate it.
Oh, it's a rope in a seat. You don't have like hangers where they...
Next vendor, please. They're coming. They're coming.
Just want to remind you, you have 10 minutes.
Yeah, no, I know. The park's been great. Councilwoman Luskin?
We wouldn't have to lose anything to put the swings in, right?
Slide the five to seven, the other age group, just real quick. but now we're gonna have two play areas. That's where the dolphin and everything is in the open?
So what you demonstrated here... You showed that whale. Are all these items included or are some of these pictures showing representative stuff that we could have? Okay. So all the music, you showed the other park with the musical instruments that you did. Can you go back to that?
Are we getting all of those musical instruments?
Can you come back to that real quick? Do you have anything is like the little village they stand they look like a vendor and they're selling that is actually included underneath your structure Where would I see that type of thing you think? In the two to five Yes, so all of those are that one. Yeah 15 if we could look at slide 15. No, I'm sorry
Thank you, guys. I'll take you with me. So I stop right there. Any question?
Would you say that we're getting as much as we have in the old park in this new park?
The spring riders? Oh, the horses. I haven't seen those in a while. The spring riders where they rock back and forth. I like those horses.
You're welcome. I just want to talk in terms of the materials on the ground. Can you give the background on why you chose not all turf?
So within this budget, you could have chose turf.
Any playground similarities anywhere nearby that we could look at?
Next one, please. Can you pick up the pace? 215 timeline, what's that?
Can I give you my grandkids for one hour? I
I don't know if you could do it. The challenge. The mayor challenge.
Dominica. I just want to reiterate what I tell everyone. We have ten minutes, so...
Welcome. And just speak into the mic so everyone could hear you.
Is that what we're looking at now? That picture?
She'll tell you, just tell her. Oh, okay. I need to see what you're talking about.
Thank you. We've got to stick to our 10 minutes. I'm going to ask any questions. Vice Mayor?
I'm actually looking at your catalog. Can you replace the small pieces, the standalone pieces, with other pieces?
Judy? This is all rubber flooring, correct?
The layout as you see it, it looks like a puzzle on the ground. There might be a special name for it, the swirl, yeah, that thing there. you're using those colors. Is that a add-on if you go with that kind of cutout or is that included?
They just pour it. So so when you're in the Wellness Center, we're looking down on this. I mean that might be a feature to think about absolutely I mean, it's gonna be covered in some spots. No, you'll see it You'll see it'll be interesting if something was like that 1000% the tower feature seems very you have one picture that towered a big picture and
Can an adult go up with a child on that tower?
And a slide comes off that, and it goes to the bridge, I think, right?
Little Kids Park, did you have musical instruments incorporated?
And is there like a little village type of thing or interactive game where they do letters in that little... Yeah, so you have the apple tree panels, they have the shade panel.
Because the kids stick their hands everywhere.
Looks pretty narrow. I don't think they could fit that.
We're waiting when you talked about the zipliner Not being conducive to Golden Beach.
Good I just want to tell you as I told everyone else we have ten minutes Perfect perfect.
But my question is, there's a lot of open spaces. Right. Is there any way to close them off? Because that bridge, it's just totally open. The climb up on the, once you climb up on the ropes, it's totally open. Like, is there any way to close these spaces off so the kids don't?
But it's not equipment. I'm saying like, can you put ropes on the bridge on the side so that the kids don't fall off? Can you put rope like something on the landing on the top so that the kids don't jump off?
This picture. No, go back. The picture of the bridge. Go back. The rope bridge. I agree with Council Member Mendel. It's also high. Yeah. And it's so open that... Go back to that picture. To me, if a child falls off of that, it's going to be problematic. I still don't see the picture.
One more. One more. No, no, the way it's the first it's the it was that I think it was the first or second one you showed from the very beginning. There it is. Yeah, that was that's high. That's high and that to me that's too exposed. Okay.
That or we can enclose it. I would need something because I imagine that was meant to wobble also. Yeah. I think I'm a landing.
I feel like 5 to 12 years old kid right.
Real quickly, when I look at this right here, this Buffered as concrete or whatever it is.
And so that turf there looks like it's a little high. It looks like it's. You know, is that I know you probably got a.
Thank you. Councilman, thank you so much. Public, any question? Nope. She raises her hand. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Have a good day. Thank you for your time.
Is someone going to get it? They're on their way. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We'll go through our three favorites. Alex, what I'm going to do after this, I'm going to ask everyone their three favorite, and then we'll narrow it down. Okay.
Hello, guys. Thank you. Where do you need us?
As I, to reiterate one more time, as I told everyone, you have 10 minutes total, so.
Let me ask some questions. Start with you, Vice Mayor. Do you have any questions?
How high is the playground from two to five? It looks very high.
That's the big one also for the little ones.
And we have 48 and 60. Is 60 the standard number?
Just to be clear, it's two separate areas, correct? Correct. Correct.
He would like to see the 2 to 5 playground. Can you show him?
Any other question, Councilman Bernstein?
Just a real quick question. Do you offer a zip line? Is that a product you have? Yes, we do. Uh-huh. And would that be, how much is your typical zip line?
And would that be about 40 feet, 60 feet?
Does the water get absorbed? It perks right into the ground.
No, no, not at all. But it's basically mulch. Kids can put it in their mouth?
It's going to be more maybe. Hold on, go on.
You're saying substantial? It's less. Is it like $300,000? Less money. No, it's more money. Less money. It's a lot more money.
Okay. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Fair in time. Very good presentation. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
So, can I just ask a quick question? Did they give us that surface so they could give us more equipment?
Thank you. Thank you for your time. Guys, what I'm going to ask you to do now, Alex, if it's all right, is real quickly going to go through and I'm going to name my three favorites. And we try to hopefully get three favorite. And then we can go from there.
Can you when you say yours or can you pull up?
No, I don't want to start pulling. Just look at your notes. We'll be here another five hours. Just look at you. That's why I said number them and see where it is.
So I'll start with mine. My three favorite and we'll keep a tab. Lisette, if you can keep a tab. I know. Keep a tab of the favorites. I would go with number three, John Bell. number five, Miracles of South Florida, and number six, Dominica Recreation Products.
So mine are three, five, and six. I'll start with you, Vice Mayor.
Whoa, whoa, what number is that? Two. Four. Two. Florida Recreationals, two. Four, five.
Two, five, and six. Two, five, and six. I was three, five, and six. I'm going to go with Judy Luskin. What's your three favorite?
Five, three, and two. OK, Ken Bernstein.
No, just keep it simple, Ken. And then we'll talk about it after. Let's just get three. I know it's hard to make a decision. Ken.
We can change it, but let's just get to three totals and go from there.
Ben I just don't I got screwed up here. Who was the one who did our part down there miracle? What number? Oh, they were five five five Dominica six And what's your third Bell I
Yeah. So why don't we go from, and to follow up with Ken, because I don't want to leave Ken out, why don't we just focus on five and six, and why don't we say what we like or don't like about them, and you want to add or something. Perfect.
Is that all right, Alex? It's whatever the tell like five or six I'm gonna tell you my opinion I'm fine with either of them and I'm fine with either other thing I got nothing to add or do but if you guys have something that you want to add like a To add a would you call that a zip line or something that five or six then or something else? Let's speak now so we can give the town manager direction So I'm gonna start with you vice mayor
All of them need more swings that I can tell you, okay Now you pull up five.
Can you just pull five up? Thanks Yeah, that'd be a good way could pull up five pull up five just I can't remember all that they incorporate Wow
that they said, I like the whale. It gives it a lot.
Yeah, I love the whale. And I like Alex's idea to get something. A bigger whale. Wow. No, something cool.
But go through the swings. Go through the other, the little kids. I thought they had a lot of swings.
Yeah, I thought they had eight. She said she had eight, I thought.
I think they need more swings, and I do like that round swing.
You want more cowbells? Remember that in Saturday Night Live? Cowbells?
No, I think it's cute. I think the separate play structures that they climb on is adorable.
I have to look through. Judy, do you have anything on them? I don't recall. Did she have a zip liner? That's something that I think our kids would love.
So do a zip, Alex, find out about a zip liner. My comment was I want something, like you said, the big animal or something to wow. Yeah.
Little kids get up the wall if you get it too high.
You know, the rock climbing idea would be pretty cool if he did it on the gym, on like the wall by the gym.
So do it on the wall in the gym. That's a possibility to keep the little kids away. So on the rec center, on the wellness center, maybe on one of the walls, Alex, that faces, we could do a cool one.
It's a good idea. Have you been to the Aspen Rec Center? Yeah. But I'm just saying the little kids do that.
You could add that. Like a two feet off the ground balance bar.
We're going to have chin-up bars and monkey bars. We have that now.
And the last group was great, but they had no, their ground covering, they kind of cheated us.
The other thing, Alex, that we talked about yesterday was the, there's that dual swing. What do you call that thing?
There's a swing that two people can ride on. Oh, yeah. Yeah, like a seesaw. They like, it's a... Yeah. And they have... In terms of the coloring on the flooring, the one that did the little puzzle shape, you know, the one that had more interest, and I think that's going to be a call from the designer, Alex, the mayor, whatever. When you go stand up there and you look down in the canopy and what that floor design is. Yeah, but somehow incorporate and say, hey, you know, that would be an interesting type of thing to do if we do it. I mean, it could be too busy.
Covers and you know, I know they're thinking of repurposing if they can that unit but those triangular covers Were sort of interesting. Yeah, the sales are sales.
Yeah, yeah the sales the sales looked interesting So town manager so based on everyone's opinion what we're instructing you to do is is to work with Miracles of South Florida, number five. Look for additional, what it's gonna cost to add, correct me if I'm mistaking, some more swings, a zipline, a bigger animal. Wow, what did you say? Oh.
Yeah, no, we're going to do that. We talked about that anyway.
Can I throw in one thing? Throw it in. Because we've been talking about people who want to. Possibly contribute or not contribute We don't want them to do it or do it but like on the wow factor on the way a big thing to the sky if you had little bricks on that you know, that they built. Like a donor wall? On the big wow factor thing.
Yes. Fun fact, two to five, there's nowhere to fall out. Safety There was a lot of holes where the kids could really fall out like that bridge Having another rope probably How's our current part is there fall out there Watch the kids like crazy. It's there is fallout. I
Guys, I want to congratulate you. We've got a lot of accomplishments. Mayor, can we take one? Miracle. We're sticking to Miracle.
Thank you. Wait, thank you for attending. Do you have any comments or anything? No, thank you for being here. Contribution.
I think all the muted colors were more favorable than the...
The days of the red the bright red blue with the whale look at the wheel with the blue go back one I think the whale was see with the blue.
I agree Where they showed those bright geometric colors. Yeah, it's not gonna look it's not gonna look no, thank you.
These excerpts are remarks by officials whose identity a person confirmed, from a transcript generated automatically from the official public meeting video and presented unedited. Accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.