Hosier to lobby for Hudson Park $$ (02/08/06)

Another possible avenue of funding for the construction of Hudson Family Park was announced Tuesday night.

Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, told members of the Portland Park Board that he will try to get federal funds earmarked for the park project.

Hosier plans to be in Washington D.C. March 7-8 in an attempt to lobby federal legislators to budget funds to pay for phase three of the park project.

This final phase of the park project is scheduled to include construction of the shelters, parking, amphitheater, the bridge over the pond, playgrounds and recreational fields. Additional landscaping is expected to be done during this phase.

Phase three will probably be the most expensive phase of the park project, Nola Albrecht, landscape architect for The Schneider Corporation, said this morning. She did not have an estimate for how much this phase could cost. Schneider officials are doing the engineering work for the park.

Planning for Phase two of the project — which includes construction of a large pond, roads and a pedestrian trail through the 30 acre park — is underway. That work is being funded by a state grant and Portland economic development income tax funds.

While in Washington D.C., Hosier and Phil Metzger, manager of business development for Schneider, will go over the final plans for the project with U.S. Rep. Mike Pence (R-6th District) and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Indiana). If they choose, Pence and Lugar would then take the request to appropriations committees.

City officials could receive word on whether or not the funds were budgeted for this project by late summer or early fall of this year, Hosier said. If approved, the money could be available as early as 2007, Hosier said.

In a related matter, Albrecht announced that work on phase two of the park project has begun.

Schneider officials have been working on the topographical survey and identifying the location of the wetlands. This work is expected to be completed in the next two weeks, Albrecht said.

Phase two also includes the layout, design and construction of the lake, roads and an extended pedestrian trail throughout the park. The entire park site, except for the entrance area, also would be graded. The amphitheater, parking areas and recreational features would be laid out, and the design of the amphitheater is expected to begin. The trail head and restroom facilities also will be built.

Hosier said phase two is being funded by a combination of money from the park department’s budget, $264,670 of Portland’s EDIT funds and the $560,000 Transportation Enhancement grant the city was awarded last year. The grant is administered by the Indiana Department of Transportation.

The construction costs for phase two have not yet been determined because bid letting has not yet begun.

Schneider is being paid $82,300 for engineering work on phase two.

Albrecht also said that work on phase one of the park project — the construction of an entrance off South Wayne Street near its intersection with Union Street — has been temporarily halted because of bad weather.

In other business, the board approved the final rough draft of the five-year master plan for Portland’s park system.

This plan includes the city’s vision for parks in the next five years, planned improvements and expected maintenance for parks. The more than 130-page plan also includes goals such as upgrading playground equipment at the parks, creating more walking trails and improving the appearance of the parks.

The city’s old master plan has expired. An updated plan could increase the city’s chances of getting federal and state funding.

Although the plan doesn’t have to be turned in to INDOT until April, Albrecht expects it to be submitted in early March.Also Tuesday, the board:

•Voted to purchase a new riding lawnmower to mow city parks.

The 2006 Exmark mower will be purchased from Hilty Engine Service of rural Berne at a cost of $5,795. This includes $1,700 for the trade in of the city’s current mower.

Hull Brothers of Fort Recovery also submitted a quote of $5,500 for a Toro mower. This price includes $5,285 for the trade-in.

The board selected the higher quote because the Exmark had a more sturdy mowing deck, Harker said. The park department’s current lawn mower, which is about nine years old, is having engine problems, he said.

•Approved the purchase of 12 chairs, a large umbrella for a picnic table and three umbrellas for lifeguard chairs at Portland Pool.

These items will be purchased from Recreation Supply Company of North Dakota at a total cost of $1,522. Harker said profits from the pool’s concession stand will pay for the purchases.

•Heard Portland Pool manager Jennifer Snow suggest some changes in the hours of operation at the pool.

This summer she would like the hours of operation to be Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Snow said that last summer, many people left at 5 p.m., although the pool was open until 6 p.m.

She also would like the night swimming to only be on Sundays from 7 to 9 p.m. Last summer it also was offered on Saturdays, but very few people showed up, Snow said.

She also suggested that the adult swimming sessions be offered on Saturday mornings, rather than a morning during the work week, to allow more people to come.

These suggested changes will go before the board for a vote at a future meeting.

•Met Shauna Runkle, the newest board member.

Runkle was appointed by Hosier after long-time board member Paul Minnich announced in December that he was resigning.

She resides in Portland and is a member of the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Portland Economic Development Corporation board of directors and the Jay/Portland Building and Planning Board.[[In-content Ad]]Members of the Portland Park Board voted to purchase new playground equipment for Memorial Park at a cost of $49,980.

The park, which is located on South Western Avenue near Blaine Pike will receive a new slide unit, along with two swing sets, two park benches and one bench swing.

The equipment will be purchased from GameTime of Holland, Mich. The price includes installation, shipping and freight charges. The price reflects a discount of $11,922, a city official said.

The ground in and around the playground area will be covered with an engineered wood fiber, said Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent.

Harker said he wanted to purchase the equipment from GameTime because the company’s officials did a nice job installing the equipment at Haynes Park. Also, the equipment is very reliable. Harker said he didn’t know why the company gave the city a discount on the equipment.

Harker said he would like to enclose the area with a fence. The equipment will be for children ages 5 to 12. There is money in the department’s 2006 budget to purchase the equipment, he said.

Memorial Park is also home to Hines-Inman Memorial Youth Sports Complex, Sportland softball diamonds and Runkle-Miller Memorial Field — the home of the Portland Rockets.