By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The Wood County Park District has accomplished a majority of capital improvement projects in 2023 ranging from emergency playground equipment repairs and stoning trails to boardwalk improvements and new parking lot pavement.
The staff has been busy, moving so quickly, it was hard to realize how much has been accomplished at the district’s parks and preserves since the beginning of the year, Executive Director Chris Smalley reported at the October Board of Commissioners meeting.
The majority of the more than $560,000 worth of capital projects slated in the 2023 budget have been completed or are in progress at the county parks, headquarters and preserves.
The building expansion at J.C. Reuthinger Memorial Preserve, the largest capital project for the year at $245,000, is completed except for the installation of bollards. A pond aerator was installed and the pond was graded, $2,000.
Other projects completed thus far include:
- Parking lot stoning at Buttonwood, $1,500;
- An emergency playground equipment repair that was unexpectedly damaged at Cedar Creeks Preserve, $2,000;
- Parking lot repaving at district headquarters, $35,000;
- At W.W. Knight Preserve, the replacement of a furnace, boardwalk and patio ramp, and adding dumpsters, $18,000;
- Fireplace switch replacement, cement support repairs and doors, basement door replacement, and overlook bench installations at Otsego Park, $78,600;
- Trail stoning at Adam Phillips Pond, $500;
- At the Slippery Elm Trail, large-scale trail clearing and Henry Township Carroll Road Ditch drainage, $10,000;
- Park entrance signage at Baldwin Woods;
- Installation of a staircase at Carter Historic Farm Park/Zimmerman Schoolhouse, $3,000;
- At Bradner Preserve, tar and chipping at Timmons and Caldwell entrances, Caldwell Road entrance sign, $35,000;
- Unplanned, but necessary septic repairs and a well pump at Sawyer Quarry Preserve, $2,000 of miscellaneous funds were used.
Projects that are in progress and expected to be complete by the end of the year are trail resurfacing at Cedar Creeks Preserve; demolition of the park police garage at William Henry Harrison Park; a sewer line connection, reservation system upgrade and office remodel at the district headquarters; fireplace switch replacement and signage at W.W. Knight Preserve; main door entrance and side door repairs at the Otsego Park garage; crack sealing and Rudolph Bike Park rules signs along the Slippery Elm Trail; main barn wall repairs, farrowing house wall repairs, main house tile and gutter work; and front porch repairs, all at Carter Historic Farm Park; and boardwalk replacement/repairs (phase 1) at Bradner Preserve.
A few projects are pushed to 2024. Those are a new furnace at Beaver Creek Preserve, kitchen cabinet upgrades at Otsego Park, a kiosk replacement that may be part of an Eagle Scout project at Cricket Frog Cove, and construction of the W.W. Knight Preserve entrance ramp replacement.
“It’s been such a successful year the crew has been working hard,” Smalley said. There were a few unexpected projects; however, because some of the projects came in under budget, funds were reallocated to cover the costs of projects not originally on the project list. “We are about three-quarters of the way through the budget year and we are on track,” he added.
Facility rental rule changes planned
The board is reviewing rental rule changes for the parks’ facilities. The updated rules will establish clearer rules on refunds and address safety concerns such as banning sparklers inside buildings. Directors will look over the packet over the next month and be prepared to discuss any concerns and potentially vote on the changes at the November meeting.
Proposed rental fee changes will be distributed to board directors in November and voted on in December.
Smalley also asked the board members to review proposed changes for the employee manual. The board had asked the district staff to review and revise the manual. While the employee manual won’t be voted on until November, Becca Ferguson posed a question regarding parks closing when Level 3 snow emergencies have been issued.
“If schools are closed but the Level 3 is lifted early in the day, I know I would have wanted my kids to be able to go sledding or playing at the parks,” she said. The proposed rule is that the parks will close when a Level 3 is issued.
In that scenario when the Level 3 is lifted, Ferguson suggested, “There might be the possibility of doing it differently” by creating some way to get the parking lots cleaned up “so we can have kids playing in the parks.” There would be no pressure for employees who don’t want to travel in bad weather, she said, “But maybe we could offer additional pay (in those situations) as a way to clean up the parking lots and allow kids to have fun in the parks.”
In other business, the board gave Smalley authority to proceed with two position title and pay grade changes. After the updated comprehensive position questionnaire, the Archer Company recommended changes to the volunteer services/communications specialist and historic farm specialist positions. The questionnaire was last completed and reviewed in 2024. “The positions themselves have changed and evolved over the last 10 years,” Smalley explained.
The volunteer services title will be changed to community and communications specialist, and the pay grade will increase from grade 6 ($44,575-$62,400) to grade 7 ($49,004.80-$68,598.40).
The historic farm specialist title will become historic farm coordinator. “The position directly supervises a small staff, coordinates development of programs and plans and coordinates farm operations from planting and harvesting to caring for livestock to managing artifacts and museum collections, as well as budget development nd administration for the farm,” Smalley said. The pay range will be upgraded from grade 8 ($53,435.20-$74,817.60) to grade 9 ($57,886.40-$81,0836.80).
The November and December board meetings, on the second Tuesday of the month at 3 p.m., will be held at the district headquarters.
