They learned proposed construction could start as early as the spring of 2021. But only if some key pieces of the puzzle fall into place, said Courtney Spawn-Kort, director of Payson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. The idea for a splash pad came from a groundswell of community interest in January 2019. By July of that year, the council had received a splash pad study from the interested citizens and allocated $250,000 from the budget to pay for the project. The pandemic stopped progress earlier this year, but already the town has spent $29,700 to move the project forward. Part of this cost went into exploring the best site for the project, another to pay for a title report in order to submit for a $205,000 federal grant.