By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wood County Park District plans to invest more than $1 million in capital improvements next year. The money will be spent on items like new restrooms, trail surfaces, playground equipment and an archery range.
A draft of the park district’s 2017 operating budget was presented to the park board Tuesday afternoon by Wood County Park District Executive Director Neil Munger. The draft also calls for the addition of part-time staff, including an adventure position, farm specialist and farm history intern.
Among the larger capital improvement projects in the draft budget are:
- $160,000 for new restrooms at William Henry Harrison Park.
- $72,000 for roof replacement of the Otsego Park Stone Hall.
- $46,500 for an archery range and parking at the Wood County Historical Center.
- $108,650 for surface treatment on the Slippery Elm Trail.
- $59,000 for parking lot construction at Baldwin Woods.
- $60,000 for field tiling at Carter Historic Farm.
- $171,000 for parking lot and driveway at Bradner Preserve.
- $30,000 for playground equipment at Cedar Creeks Park.
Being put on hold are renovations to a house at Sawyer Preserve since the bids came in far too high, Munger said.
The equipment costs increased a bit in the draft budget. In the adventure programming area, costs will be incurred for the new archery range and river kayaking program.
Board member Christine Seiler suggested that the river kayaking program should be made more available to people. Currently, only groups of 10 or more people may reserve the kayaks a week in advance.
“If we’re going to add to that program – and I think it’s a terrific program – I think it needs to be more friendly to all constituents,” Seiler said.
Outdoor exercise equipment is also being considered, possibly along the Slippery Elm Trail. However, space is an issue, Munger said, since it requires playground safety treatments.
Seiler complimented the park district for reducing expenses in some areas of the draft budget. Often when public groups create budgets, they use the previous year as a starting point and never consider reductions, she said.
“I think your staff and you really deserve a lot of credit,” Seiler said to Munger.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the park board approved local park improvement grants for 2017 for several communities. Those projects getting approval are:
- 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 a play structure 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.
The board had delayed approval of the grants for a month in order to get more information on those projects not approved, and details on the amount of grant funding given to individual communities in the past.
Munger explained why three requests this year did not make the cut. The request from Cygnet for mulch safety surfacing was for landscaping mulch rather than the correct surface. The request from Troy Township for playground assistance will be delayed until maintenance issues are addressed. And there was not enough funding to fill Portage Township’s request for ballfield lighting.
The information gathered for the board showed that 34 different entities in the county have received local park grant funding since the program started in 1989.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved a resolution of support for the Maumee River Water Trail, which is proposed from the Indiana border to the Maumee Bay.
As proposed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the river trail will have 10 access points in Wood County, with two of those on park district property at Otsego Park and Buttonwood Park. The park district will receive grant funding for signage along the trail.
Munger said he is hopeful that the water trail could encourage more use of the campground at Buttonwood Park.
In other business, board member John Calderonello expressed concerns about the move toward extinction for wildlife species such as monarch butterflies, quail, bees and bats. He was informed by park staff that the monarch numbers were down in the summer, but seemed to rebound. Staff said they could look into coordinating efforts with ODNR and groups like Nature’s Nursery on helping such species.
It was also announced that the Wood County Park District now has a new App at wcparks.
