"This project represents a remarkable level of community support that we have not seen. The last I can remember is the 1980s."
A resident said that from the floor of a packed Red Bluff City Council meeting on September 15, 2026, as KRCR reported. The council had to decide how to cover a several-hundred-thousand-dollar shortfall on the River Park project or risk taking it out to bid all over again. That night it voted unanimously to close the gap.
Many people in town have heard that the River Park splash pad came with a $3 million state grant. The lowest construction bid was about $2.5 million. On those two numbers alone the project should have had money left over. The reason it didn't is in the city's own staff report, and it explains why the splash pad will arrive with a Soroptimist sign at the entrance and a resident's name attached to its funding.
Over $1.2 Million of the Grant Was Committed Before the Bids Arrived
The grant came from California's Rural Recreation and Tourism Program, which is funded by Proposition 68. Not all of it could go to construction. According to the city's staff report for the September 15 meeting, $1,205,852 of the grant had already been allocated to design work by Melton Design Group and to pre-purchased items. Those items included the restroom structure and some of the water-play equipment.
The pre-purchase was a deliberate choice. In September 2025 the council authorized staff to buy certain long-lead-time elements ahead of construction. The money spent on those items is part of the project. It just isn't available to pay a contractor.
Here is how the staff report adds it up:
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Prop 68 grant awarded | $3,000,000 |
| Already allocated to design and pre-purchased elements | $1,205,852 |
| Low construction bid, SnL Group of Redding | $2,498,998 |
| Over budget before other sources | $704,850 |
| Storm Drain Impact Fees applied | $200,000 |
| Soroptimist International of Red Bluff commitment | $95,000 |
| Remaining gap presented to council | $410,000 |
The storm drain money comes with its own purpose. The city is using it to install stormwater trash collection devices and related storm improvements that the State's MS4 rules require. Each dollar in that table has a specific job.
The Project Had Already Been Bid Once
Rising costs had already hit the project. On February 17, 2026, the council rejected every bid in the first round. It directed staff and the design team to cut the scope of this phase while keeping the design elements promised in the grant application, then re-advertise. "We had to take it back for rebid because the prices came in too high," Red Bluff Public Works Director Scott Miller told KRCR.
The second round drew three bids, all from the region:
- SnL Group, Inc., Redding: $2,498,998
- R&R Horn, Inc., Chico: $2,534,965.05
- Allen Gill Construction, Inc., Palo Cedro: $3,173,374
The two lowest bids were about $36,000 apart. Rebidding again was unlikely to bring the price down much, and that left the council with the choice it faced on September 15.
Ten Days, $62,470
Vici Miranda has backed the River Park plan since it began in 2018. Miller credited her with starting the project. "It was citizen-led," he said. "Vicky Miranda put it together with a desire to get it all-inclusive, as far as a splash park for the community."
In the 10 days before the September 15 meeting, Miranda raised $62,470 from the community. "As of this morning- actually, this afternoon I'm at $62,470," she told the council. "So I wanted to show you that I'm willing to do my part. I'm not done." Her total plus the development impact funds the city plans to put toward the project brought the gap down to about $208,000.
The council then voted unanimously to cover the rest from the General Fund. It left room for residents to keep raising money and reduce the city's share. "We're faced with incredible decisions to make, and this is one of them, because regardless, we want to make this happen," Mayor JR Gonzales said as discussion opened.
That makes the final General Fund amount a moving number. Any money Miranda raises from here lowers what the city pays. She told KRCR she was talking with several local organizations and businesses about contributing but would not name them until their donations were confirmed. In a follow-up report from Action News Now, she said fundraising would continue for park security, shade structures, lighting, and an adaptive playground. In the same report she put the combined total of grants and fundraising at $3.2 million. That figure counts the state grant and should not be read as a donation total.
The Soroptimist Gift Pays for the Parts Visitors See First
The $95,000 from Soroptimist International of Red Bluff pays for specific pieces of the park: the Butterfly Shade Structure, fabrication of the "Big Splash" entry sign, and the mosaic tile murals at the entrance. Most of the grant goes to plumbing, paving, and a restroom building that people walk past without thinking about. The club's money goes to the entrance, the sign, and the shade over the play area.
Donations are going through Soroptimist's PayPal page, @SIRBBigSplash, which the city pointed to as the way to support the project. The page does not show a running total.
What the 5.8 Acres Will Hold
The staff report covers the whole 5.8-acre park beside the Sacramento River. The project includes:
- A new spray park with a splash pad
- A new restroom and concession building
- A new amphitheater
- Four new pickleball courts with seating and lighting
- Renovated playground surfacing and access
- Renovated pathways, landscaping, parking, and lighting throughout the park
The sources describe the phasing differently. KRCR reported the splash pad as phase one and the pickleball courts as phase two. The city's contract-award item lists the courts within the scope of the rehabilitation project. Pickleball players will get a firm answer once the construction schedule is published.
All of this is being added to a park that is already in steady use. The city's River Park page lists a swimming pool, trails, two playgrounds, basketball and volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, a boat ramp, Sacramento River fishing access, barbecue and picnic areas, restrooms, and a bandstand and stage. Fish sculptures stand in the parking area near the boat launch. So far, no published source has said which areas will close during construction, including the boat launch.
Where Things Stand in October
Miranda said at the council meeting that ground would break on the splash pad in spring 2027. The Action News Now follow-up put the opening in summer 2027. Both are targets, and neither has been formally scheduled. After the vote, Action News Now reported that staff would handle contract paperwork with SnL Group and verify the company's insurance. The council's October 6 agenda had no River Park item. As of this writing, the city's meeting calendar shows the October 20 agenda as not yet available.
The project began as one resident's idea in 2018. The city hired Melton Design Group in April 2023, rejected the first bids in February 2026, and awarded the contract in September. If the summer 2027 target holds, the first full season of the Big Splash will come about nine years after Miranda started the effort, and the General Fund's share depends on how much more the community raises before then.
Projects like River Park are part of how Red Bluff is changing, and that kind of local knowledge shapes Monet Templeton's work with clients here. If you're curious what the riverfront's next few years could mean for a home you own near the park, Monet Templeton is glad to talk it through. Book an appointment or request a home valuation.
