Old Man Winter owes West Des Moines taxpayers $75,000.
That’s the cost the city will bear to get a close look under the Raccoon River Park’s fishing pier, which was surrounded with an orange, plastic fence all season due to damage left behind by last winter’s brutal temperatures.
High water had closed the pier periodically in past years, then winter delivered more ice than the structure could handle. “The ice actually got underneath and lifted it off the supports,” the parks department’s recreation director, Todd Seaman, said.
Parks director Sally Ortgies closed the pier while the city’s insurance company, the contractor, and the designer debated who would handle the cost for repairs. When the ice melted last spring, high water slowed the inspection process.
Raccoon River Park, 2440 Grand Ave., is considered the “crown jewel” of the city’s parks system. It comprises nearly 632 acres and features Blue Heron Lake, which is managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
United Contractors Inc. of Johnston has been hired to “de-water” an area around the pier so city inspectors can examine the extent of damage to the footings and deck. The city’s insurance provider will pick up half the cost.
No timetable for repairs, if needed, has been set.
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