By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Got some ideas on how Bowling Green should spend $3.3 million? The city wants to hear from you.
Bowling Green received $7.3 million last year in American Rescue Plan Act funds designed to help communities recover from the economic impacts of the COVID pandemic.
So far, the city has approved using the funds for:
- $3 million for residential street paving.
- $350,000 for MARCS radios to improve public safety communications.
- $250,000 for paving at City Park, including road widening, a walking path, and security improvements.
- $100,000 for inclusive playground at Carter Park.
- $300,000 for housing grants over three years.
That leaves about $3.3 million that the city can spend – and city officials want input from the community.
A community questionnaire has been created, with 10 questions and an opportunity to rank the importance of possible projects. The survey includes four categories of investments – downtown enhancements, parks and recreation, community development, and pedestrian and bicycle safety infrastructure.
Residents are being asked to rank the projects, and submit their own ideas for consideration.
The questionnaire, which can be found at https://bit.ly/BGARPA, will be open through March 11.
Residents who don’t have access to computers may submit responses by visiting the city’s Community Development Office in the city administration building, or use a computer kiosk at the Wood County District Public Library.
The guiding principles being used by the city to prioritize projects for funding include criteria that the projects must have community-wide impact, and must avoid duplicated use of funds already in place.
Following are the projects people are being asked to rank in each category:
Downtown enhancements
- Downtown building facade improvements.
- Alleyway improvements.
- Downtown public restrooms.
- Downtown dumpster enclosures.
- Downtown right-of-way redesign to widen sidewalks.
Parks and recreation
- Repave Carter Park parking lot.
- Roof replacement at community center.
- Outdoor pickleball courts.
- Shade structures at Eli Joyce Field in City Park, and at community center athletic fields.
- Paving trails at Simpson Garden Park.
Community development
- Electric vehicle charging stations.
- Plant trees within rights-of-way.
- Small business grants.
- Murals/public art.
- Oak Grove Cemetery capital improvements.
Pedestrian and bicycle safety infrastructure (Complete Streets)
- Repair existing sidewalks.
- Construct new sidewalks.
- Multi-use path from BG High School/Middle School to the community center and Cogans Crossing.
- On-street bicycle treatments like sharrows and bike lanes.
- Separated bike paths.
“Hearing from our community is an important guide,” Mayor Mike Aspacher said during Monday’s City Council meeting. He referred to the questionnaires as “community discussions.”
Amanda Gamby, the city’s sustainability and public outreach coordinator, explained that the online feedback form is not a scientific survey.
“We’re really just going to do our best to reach out to the community and do the best we can” to gather input, Gamby said.
Hallie Williams, city community affairs coordinator, asked City Council members to help spread the word about the online questionnaire.
“We need to keep getting this in front of people in the next month,” she said. “We need your guys’ help.”
That may mean pushing it on social media or even promoting it on TikTok.
“Go for it. Right on,” Williams said.
“We want to do whatever we can to make sure we’re making good educated decisions,” she said.
