Project would bring back park waterfall in south Beatrice

BEATRICE – There’s a move toward bringing back a feature at Chautauqua Park damaged by flooding several years ago.  City officials are considering reinstalling a waterfall at the south end of the park, fed by a system that circulates water. The project has been estimated at about $100,000.

City Councilman Ted Fairbanks said the falls fell victim to flooding and silt, after operating for about three years. "The city would have some in-kind services, the parks department, water department, electric department...for the project. The remainder of the cost of the project is digging up the boulders, laying the concrete...everything that needs to be done, the circulating pumps and the mechanical part of that."

Fairbanks said possible sources of funding for the project are keno funds, Beatrice Plus money, lodging tax or the city’s general fund.
"I know there is a group that is trying to do some fundraising and here's the problem with that. It's hard to get someone to commit to donating funds to a project, when the city hasn't said, we're going to do the project."

Fairbanks said any private money could offset public expense for the project. Fairbanks says he’d like to see the city council vote on the project at an upcoming meeting. At least four other council members expressed some support for the idea, Monday night.