Neptune Beach delays pump track vote over budget, documentation concerns

Neptune Beach officials will revisit plans to install a pump track at Jarboe Park. The City Council voted unanimously at a recent meeting to defer approval of the contract until the July 20 meeting.
The pump track was initially approved in May 2025. However, questions about project materials and a higher-than-planned budget could affect the timeline for completion under an existing contract with ACON Construction.
“How many train wrecks have you watched where we didn’t have everything properly documented then we had a disaster after everyone promised us not to worry, it will be okay? That’s my concern,” Council Member Josh Messinger said.
“I want it all documented. I want it all laid out. I want to know exactly what we’re buying, where everything is going and what the quantities are so we all know what we’re paying for.”
Project Manager Blake West presented an overview of the project, a small, looping bicycle track with gentle hills, berms and other features designed for young children to learn and practice riding skills. The design was completed by California Skateparks, the team that constructed the Riverside Arts Market skatepark in Jacksonville.
“That park is a tremendous success and I think the design they put together for us is absolutely excellent,” West said. “We are seeking approval for proceeding with the piggyback agreement and signing the cost disbursement agreement. This will be fully funded by Jacksonville and we are very thankful for that.”
The design is complete, and the city of Jacksonville will fund construction as part of a $385,000 cost disbursement and piggyback contract agreement with ACON, using California Skateparks as a subcontractor.
“As a design-build service, [ACON] coordinates with engineers, landscape architects, California Skateparks, with me and the city of Jacksonville through all of these complex agreements,” West said. “They have already put in a great deal of work to maintain those relationships and make sure it all runs smoothly.”
According to the design layout, the track is approximately 2,610 total square feet, 100 feet in length and 10 feet wide. The site is a small, currently unused portion of Jarboe Park, north of the community garden. “It’s nestled nicely into that area to maximize the space,” West said of the track, which was widened from six feet to 10 feet. “We can incorporate more interesting features.”
This budget does not include other park amenities supplemental to the pump track, including seating, sidewalks, a shade structure, a water fountain and landscaping, which will be covered in a secondary contract.
“It’s advantageous to sort of pump the brakes because we have a building being built next to it. It’s basically we should see the site then build those amenities since we have a clear picture of the site in play,” West noted.
Council Member Tim Horvath expressed concern that the project exceeded the original budget and failed to address the environmental impact. “It gets more expensive as this goes on as most projects often do. There’s nothing to account for drainage or if there’s any soil issues,” he said.
West said Hanson Engineering, which is providing civil engineering services for the field and sidewalk installation, will also provide similar services for the pump track site. If the cost of track construction exceeds the allotted $302,000, the remaining funds will be deducted from the $82,000 contract for the amenities. West said estimates for similar projects and sites have historically been “surprisingly accurate” and are not expected to exceed the budgeted amount.
Council Member Nia Livingston said the site plan also fails to look at the bigger picture. While she does not support using Neptune Beach funds to install the pump track, she noted that the city will be required to pay for maintenance for years to come.
“We know how this is going to flow from an access standpoint but we only have a brief snapshot. A very big chunk of the budget is for the landscaping, the paths, the furnishings, the layout and all of those items but we don’t have any of that documented or a site plan that shows how it integrates into the rest of the park,” Messinger said.
“Before I can be comfortable approving the expenditure, I’d want to see how this integrates with a broader site plan so we know where sidewalks are going to go. How many sidewalks? Where are they going? How does that bake into the rest of the project? Nothing against the project, I just want all the ingredients on the table and the full recipe at this point.”