Park planning

REDKEY — Parks are being made a priority.

Redkey Town Council during a special meeting Wednesday OK’d advertising for bids for work on the park cabin and discussed a possible path to fundraising for new equipment for Redkey Morgan Park.

Major repairs to the park cabin have been on the council’s radar since 2016 when council member Dave Dudelston noted the need for a new roof. It has become a priority since the condition of the roof has deteriorated since then.

Council members Terri Taylor, Doug Stanley, Ted Friddle and Dudelston, absent Randy May, on Wednesday reviewed specs for proposed repairs to the cabin. Those include:

•New metal roofing

•Removal of the existing porch on the south side of the building and construction of a new porch with an eave height of 8 feet.

•Installation of new metal siding on the east, west and north sides of the building.

•New soffit for the entirety of the cabin

•New gutters and downspouts.

Council agreed to advertise for bids for the project, with the roof and related work as well as the front porch replacement as the main project. The new siding will be bid as an alternate to provide council with some flexibility.

Money for the project is planned to come from $50,000 in economic development funds from Bluff Point Wind Energy Center. Once bids are in, council will seek approval from Jay County Commissioners to spend the funds.

Taylor also presented a plan for acquiring new playground equipment for the park, suggesting that a fundraising committee be appointed to help with the task.

She said she’d like to start a fund for that purpose through The Portland Foundation. (She also noted that the town has some money available via an endowment already in place at the foundation.)

Five Redkey residents — former council president Kyle Champ, Randy Blanton, Briana Blanton, Chance Retter and Beth Burris — have expressed interest in serving on such a committee, said Taylor, who would serve as an advisory member.

“There’s no question we need equipment,” said Taylor. “And right now this is the only way to do it … to get started.”

The town’s annual park budget is limited — $11,000 for 2019.

Council members were supportive of the plan to name a fundraising committee, but decided to consult with town attorney Wes Schemenaur first in order to make sure it is structured properly. Schemenaur was not in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting.

Council approved Taylor’s suggestion to install a 12-foot by 12-foot concrete pad and picnic tables southwest of the park cabin at a cost not to exceed $750.

Taylor also informed council that the concession stand and basketball hoops are scheduled to be painted in the spring.

In other business, the board:

•Approved, with Dudelston abstaining, an amended fire protection contract with Knox Township for 2020 at a total of $912.50. Redkey had been responsible for a larger portion of Knox Township since 2016. The township advisory board recently decided to go back to its previous arrangement, with Dunkirk handling the bulk of the township’s fire protection and Redkey and Pennville responsible for the rest.

•Heard from “Watermellon” Jim Phillips about unclaimed funds in the name of Margaret Finch. Phillips said Finch left the town $10,000 after her death more than 20 years ago and that the town may be entitled to some of the unclaimed funds. Town council members said they would have Schemenaur look into the matter.