By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Every year the Wood County Park District dishes out $100,000 to community parks for items like swingsets, soccer goals and shade trees.
This year the approval process hit a temporary snag on Tuesday when park board members said they wanted more details before divvying up the money. In addition to a list of the recommended projects, the board members said they wanted to see the requests that were rejected, the amounts requested and awarded, if any local funds were being kicked in, and how much the communities have received in the past from the park district.
So the board will meet again next month, with more information and with plans to vote on the grants. The actual grant funding won’t be dispersed until next February.
Following is a list of projects being recommended for grant funds from the Wood County Park District:
- Bowling Green, $7,913 for water play features at the pool; $1,211 for disc golf course signage.
- Haskins, $8,604 to replace a swingset.
- Lake Township, $4,536 for benches, garbage cans and dog waste bag dispensers.
- Luckey, $2,708 for park benches.
- Northwood, $9,181 for disc golf course, trees and soccer goals.
- Pemberville, $14,290 for renovation of old storage building into park shelter.
- Perrysburg, $9,722 for sun shade structure.
- Perrysburg Township, $4,064 for playground safety surfacing.
- Risingsun, $19,572 for playstructure and surfacing replacing old playground equipment.
- Walbridge, $7,500 for renovation of restrooms/bathhouse at the pool.
- Weston, $10,699 to replace old playground equipment and surfacing.
Grant requests from Cygnet, Portage Township and Troy Township did not make the initial cut.
Jeff Baney, assistant director of the Wood County Park District, said he was particularly pleased with two grant requests – one from Northwood, the other from Risingsun.
Risingsun is in line to get almost $20,000 for new playground equipment to replace equipment from the 1950s and 1960s.
“I know we all played on that stuff and we survived it,” Baney said. But the playground hasn’t complied with safety standards for years.
“They got rid of a lot of really arcane equipment,” such as the old “witch’s wheel” that can be quite dangerous for kids, Baney said.
“I was glad to see it,” he said.
In Northwood, the funding is set to go toward a new disc golf course, which was researched and designed by a student, Baney said.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board discussed capital improvement plans for the Wood County Park District. Some of the projects, reported by Park District Director Neil Munger included:
- Cedar Creeks Preserve, add new playground equipment.
- Harrison Park, replace old restrooms with handicapped accessible restrooms.
- W.W. Knight Preserve, repair boardwalks and shelters.
- Otsego Park, check bank slipping along the Maumee River behind the stone hall, repair cracking steps, and replace roof on the stone hall. Care will be taken to not damage the aesthetics inside the building.
- Archery range will likely be put on hold till next year since the plan is still being reviewed by the county prosecutor’s office, and the survey is being done by the county engineer’s office.
- Zimmerman School will be moved to the Carter Historic Farm.
- Carter Historic Farm will have repairs made to some outbuildings and fireplace, plus painting on the house.
- Slippery Elm Trail will have surface treatment applied on the entire length, making it last longer and less slippery.
- Bradner Preserve will see work on the boardwalk and asphalt on the parking lot.
- Buttonwood Park has been restored after the ice jam damaged it greatly.
In other business, the board talked about how bids are awarded to contractors. Board member John Calderonello asked if the district could award a bid to a local business if its bid was just slightly higher than another firm’s bid from outside the area.
Munger said the district is required to go with the “lowest and the best bid,” and local bids cannot be given preferential treatment. The district has to be mindful of tax dollars, he said.
Calderonello also asked about any authority the park district has in making sure contractors are paying acceptable wages. Munger said while the district has guidelines for prevailing wages, they have no control over what contractors pay.
Board member Christine Seiler cautioned that the board needs to be careful not to change rules depending on the bidders.
And board member Denny Parish said the park district has a long history of going with the lowest bid on projects. “We’re transparent. When we spend dollars, it’s there for everyone to see,” Parish said. “They have always been fair.”
Calderonello also suggested that the park district look into alternative energy sources. Munger said he has discussed possible solar arrays at W.W. Knight Preserve, Otsego Park or the district headquarters.
