Chuck Riley is out $325 for doing what he thought was right.

Riley, the owner of Riley Excavating & Concrete, won the job to provide a concrete pad for the new restroom at Riverfront Park. 

He was given a color sample with instructions to make the pad for the restroom. However, Riley took the sample to the pavilion to compare the colors.

“I guess there’s a lesson in this somewhere, but I laid the sample down on the floor of the (Fred Brown) pavilion, and the color they chose was too pink,” Riley said. “Both Ron (construction assistant Watkins) and I agreed. That the color I selected was more the color of the floor.”

On Monday, Park Committee Chairman Peggy Williams said there was a miscommunication.

“We never asked him to match the color of the pavilion, Williams said. “We wanted him to match the color of the sidewalk. The color of the pavilion and the walkway are not the same.”

Because Riley deviated from the color chosen by Park Committee members Vicky Lawrence, Robin Benson and Williams, the council voted not to pay Riley for the tinting, which amounts to $325 of the $5,600 job.

For his part, Riley said he was just trying to do the right thing by comparing the colors.

“I probably should have just done the color they requested, but I didn’t,” Riley said. “I thought I was making this right. The color, sand, just looked too pink.”

Riley said the pad around the restroom looks great.

“I don’t know that people who are out there are going to notice the difference,” Riley said. “That pavilion and walkway are ... what, about nine years old. If the color looks like all the rest in nine years are they going to give me the $325?”

William said the topic is closed.

Councilwoman Lawrence brought the issue to the attention of the council, which voted to pay Riley for everything but the coloring.

“I still think we made the right choice,” Riley said.