Park board hears project proposals

Leftover funds in the Portland’s water park construction fund will be used to make additional improvements to the city’s park system.

Street and parks superintendent Ryan Myers presented a series of potential improvements to Portland Park Board at its meeting Tuesday to be considered as possible uses for $31,000 the city has leftover from the fund used to build Portland Water Park.

Park board also approved a bid for improvements to flooring in the bathrooms at the water park, accepted a proposal for a possible relocation of the city’s farmers' market and elected officers for 2017.

Myers presented a synopsis of the total money budgeted for parks projects in 2017. There is $40,000 budgeted for capital outlays projects, $38,000 for repairs and maintenance and $31,000 still remaining in the pool construction fund. The total of the three funds comes out to $109,000, and Myers said typically $13,000 would have to be spent each year on repairs and maintenance.

For the rest of the money, Myers presented 11 possible projects that the board could consider and decide on before May, when work would begin.

Included in the proposals were smaller sidewalk and restroom improvements, and larger ticket projects like adding two pickleball courts at Portland Memorial Park, installing a swing for handicapped individuals and building a fishing pier at Hudson Family Park. The board plans to review the proposed projects and choose which to prioritize.

Board members Rod Ashman, Chris Compton, Shauna Runkle and new member Giles Laux, absent Kristi Betts, decided to accept a bid for adding new epoxy surfacing to the flooring in the bathrooms at Portland Water Park.

The contract was awarded to A & R Construction, which submitted the low bid of $9,950.

The floor was originally installed by RLTurner, but a slick surface and water puddling problems led the city to hold $30,000 in retainage from the original construction contract. RLTurner argued that the floor met the industry standard, and according to Myers and Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman, the company doesn’t intend to fix the floor. Instead, the contract with A & R Construction will allow the city to address the flooring issues.

The board also approved a proposal to change the location of the city’s farmers' market. Nancy Rines and Nancy Cline, new heads of the farmers' market, asked that the board approve a preliminary proposal for them to relocate the farmers' market to Haynes Park, from its current location on the south side of the county courthouse. The board approved the proposal, and Rines and Cline said they will discuss the idea with vendors to gauge their interest.

 Ashman introduced Laux, who was recently appointed to fill the vacant Republican seat on the park board. Meeting for the first time this year, the board also voted to retain its officers from 2016 with Ashman as president, Runkle as vice president and Compton as secretary.

In other business, the board:

•Approved a request from Travis Theurer of Jay County Sheriff’s Office for reserving Portland Water Park for Law Enforcement Camp from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 20, provided the date doesn’t conflict with any already scheduled events.

•Heard from Mayor Randy Geesaman that the city will meet with Indiana Department of Transportation on March 24 for a pre-construction meeting on the construction of the pedestrian greenway from Milton Miller Park to Votaw Street, crossing over to Haynes Park.