Grant support sought (1/14/04)

Calling all Portland area residents, officials and business leaders: The city’s park board needs your support.

Portland Park Board members decided Tuesday to resubmit a grant application to the state by Jan. 31 to fund a majority of the Hudson Family Park project.

“It’s time for us to dig our heels in ... get (area residents) excited about the project,” Corey Whitesell of Hannum, Wagle & Cline Engineering, Indianapolis, told board members at Tuesday’s meeting, saying that increased community support is needed to win grant funding.

The board’s approximately $1.2 million Indiana Department of Transportation enhancement grant request was turned down in late December. The board voted Tuesday to resubmit its application for the next round of grants.

Whitesell said that his company recently met with INDOT officials who “said that the definition of the project (in the 2003 grant application) was great. But (the city) needs to demonstrate more local support for the project.”

He added that INDOT officials “perceived the condition of the (33-acre) land donation as the reason for the project, whereas people are interested and excited” about the estimated $3.4 million project.

“We can’t wait year after year (for this grant). We don’t have a choice (whether or not to apply this year). One year of disappointment is enough. This year is it,” said former board president Donald Gillespie.

Whitesell suggested that each board member obtain as many letters of support from local industries, organizations and city and county leaders as they can before the deadline to submit with the application.

Whitesell also suggested that board members challenge city residents, business owners, officials and organization members to include in their letters not only words of support, but a commitment that they can make towards the project.

“(The commitment) doesn’t have to be cash. Groups can spend 10 hours planting trees (in the future park),” Whitesell added as an example.

The board and Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier discussed who they would contact for letters of support and set Friday, Jan. 23 as the deadline for the letters to be submitted.

Board members also scheduled a public hearing on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. in the community room of the Portland Fire Station, 1616 N. Franklin St., Portland.

“We need pictures of people filling the room,” Whitesell said about the public hearing.

The grant, which is scheduled to be awarded this summer, could fund construction of trails, parking lots, restrooms, drinking fountains in the park and approaches to the planned walking bridge over the Salamonie River. It also could help cover engineering costs for the project.

The park project will include the pedestrian bridge over the Salamonie River, multi-purpose fields planned for football and soccer and an amphitheater with restrooms. Parking lots with 250 spaces including handicapped spots, a lake, a wetland area, a playground, a gazebo, a trail network connecting all park activities, a restroom facility, a native grass and wildlife prairie, a picnic area and sand volleyball courts also are slated.

In related business, Whitesell informed the board it can also go after three grants from the Department of Natural Resources this year.

After applying for the INDOT grant, Whitesell said that he will work with the board to apply for grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Indiana Waters Program and the Recreation Trails Program.

Although the park board’s transportation enhancement grant request was denied, the park will benefit from a $339,200 grant awarded to the county to rehabilitate an iron truss bridge in Knox Township then re-build the bridge over the Salamonie River at the north end of the park.

“An element for the project is funded even though (the request) was not submitted by (the park board),” Whitesell said about the grant obtained by the county.

Also Tuesday, board members elected Neil Medler as president, after former president Donald Gillespie stepped down from the position.

Gillespie was selected as vice president, and Sharon Bubp was elected secretary.

In other business, the board voted to have city employees explore whether they have the manpower to replace roofs on the city’s street and park department building on South Wayne Street, the concession stand at Sportland Field in Portland Memorial Park, the concession stand at the Portland Junior League diamonds and the roof of a shelter house in Weiler-Wilson Park. If city employees are unable to complete all three roofs, the board voted to seek quotes for the project.[[In-content Ad]]