From left, Julia Ciesla-Hanley, city recreation coordinator; John Williams, city parks manager; Jeffrey Lehman, city public works director; Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor; and Willie Rosas, Dunkirk mayor; at The Splash Pad at Wright Park in Dunkirk. City officials have started discussing the possibility of adding a splash pad in Jamestown. Submitted photo

Some who have spent time around Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, might call him “a kid at heart.”

On Monday, the retiring mayor, who is in his 20th and last year in office, might have proven everyone right with his latest proposal.

Teresi said during his final months he wants to get the “ball rolling” on creating a splash pad in the city. He doesn’t know where the splash pad would be located. He added it wouldn’t be a public pool.

“This is a good opportunity to pursue state funds to pay for it,” he said. “We still need to figure out the funding.”

Teresi said if city officials did receive state funding for a splash pad project, a consultant would be hired to analyze possible site selections. He said to get an idea of what city officials want for Jamestown, they visited The Splash Pad at Wright Park in Dunkirk with Willie Rosas, Dunkirk mayor.

“He said it’s extremely popular,” Teresi said about Rosas thoughts about Dunkirk’s splash pad. “He said it’s one of the best things they’ve done.”

Teresi said a splash pad would be inexpensive to operate, with the water being recycled. He said the splash pad would also need no staffing. He added that however far he gets with the project during his last year in office that the next mayor would need to continue the project for it to be fully developed.

“It’s on my bucket list,” he said. “It’s clearly doable.”