During its meeting Monday, the Washington City Council will consider awarding a contract not to exceed $7,200 to Susan Suggs to complete an updated site-specific master plan for Havens Gardens.

The city’s Recreation Advisory Committee recommends the awarding of the contract. On March 9, 2009, the council adopted a previous site-specific master plan for Havens Gardens prepared by Suggs.

During the RAC’s January 2014 meeting, the committee decided to ask the council to re-appropriate funds left over from the Festival Park project budget. On March 10, the committee asked the council for funds to update the master plan for Havens Gardens. The council chose not to grant that request until the committee had further reviewed the initial plan and set specific recommendations for changes to it.

An updated site-specific plan for Havens Gardens is needed to apply for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant to help pay for completing the project, according to a city document.

Suggs suggests moving the Havens Gardens parking lot south of N.C. Highway 32 westward to provide more open area at the east end of the park. She also recommends adding a loop walking trail west of the parking lot. Other suggestions include building a shelter on the west end of Havens Gardens so it overlooks the Pamlico River, provide a fenced-in play area for small children and adding facilities for a splash park, bocce and beach volleyball.

The council also is scheduled to resume its discussion on a proposal to bring back to a $30 fee per participant (the amount charged prior to the City Council’s approval of the “kids play free” program) as a way of helping offset some of the costs associated with maintaining the sports facilities instead of increasing the use of tax dollars to pay for such costs.

The council talked about the proposal during its Sept. 22 meeting but decided it needed more information specifically concerning how imposing the fee could affect scholarships some sports leagues provide so underprivileged children can play in those leagues.

Sports leagues that use city facilities have expressed concern that reviving the $30 per player fee could result in fewer children playing sports because their families could not afford it.

City Manager Brian Alligood has told the council the issue before it is whether to impose a fee or use tax dollars to pay for maintenance of city recreation facilities, including those used by sports leagues. At the Sept. 22 meeting, council members also noted that some sports programs that use city facilities have many players who do not live in the city but use city facilities while playing sports. Their parents are not city taxpayers, city officials noted.

The council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building, 102 E. Second St. To view the council’s agenda for a specific meeting, visit the city’s web­site at www.washingtonnc.gov, click “Government” then “City Council” heading, then click “Meeting Agendas” on the menu to the right. Then click on the date for the appropriate agenda.