By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wood County Park District is looking at sprucing up several parks next year.
The park board met Tuesday at William Henry Harrison Park in Pemberville, and approved several improvement plans introduced by park district Director Chris Smalley.
On the list is work to update boardwalks, paint shelter houses, drain trail pooling, and install a pond aerator system. Some of the projects have been on the park district’s work list for years.
“We’re really getting our arms back around some things” that need repairs, Smalley told the board.
Following are some of the updates planned:
- Replacement of the original boardwalks at W.W. Knight Preserve. “It’s a well-used feature,” Smalley said, adding that the work has been put off for years. “They are at least 15 years of age, and showing every bit of it.” The project will cost the park district about $18,000. The Country Garden Club has offered to put $4,000 toward the new boardwalks.
- Painting of the three shelter houses in William Henry Harrison Park. “All three shelters have seen better days,” and have not been painted in over 20 years, Smalley said. The board agreed to hire Toby Ernsthausen Painting and Drywall, from Bowling Green, to do the work for $11,850.
- Drainage of a section on the Slippery Elm Trail. “We’re starting to see some ponding,” Smalley said, of a section in the southwest corner where the trail crosses Cygnet Road. The board agreed to hire Eric Palmer Trucking and Excavating, of Bowling Green, for $5,400 to install a catch basin which will drain toward the Rudolph Road ditch.
- Installation of an aerator system in Reuthinger Pond. The Kokosing construction company created the borrow pit pond area during work on Interstate 75. Kokosing has agreed to put $7,500 toward the aerator system, with the park district picking up just under $1,300. The project will result in healthier pond water, Smalley said. “My goal is to look at stocking options down the road,” he said.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the park district board listened to a proposal to work with Enterprise on fleet vehicle replacements. A representative of Enterprise said several governmental entities, including the City of Bowling Green and Bowling Green State University, work with the rental car company to handle vehicle replacements.
By working with Enterprise, the park district’s fleet would have an average replacement time of four years, rather than the current 13 years. According to Carl Cultrona, an account executive with Enterprise Fleet Management, the “change in philosophy” about vehicles could save the park district nearly $400,000 over 10 years.
The park board members had several questions, and wanted to ensure that the change would not end up costing taxpayers more money.
Board member Denny Parish expressed his feelings that any decision on the fleet replacement program should be delayed until January, when new board members will be in place. Parish, who will be retiring from the board at the end of this year, said he was not comfortable in making a long-term decision that a new board will have to live with.
