Target date set

Memorial Day weekend is once again the target for opening Portland Water Park.

Portland Park Board on Tuesday set May 29 as the tentative opening date for the facility. It is contingent on meeting any coronavirus related restrictions and having enough staff in place.

Board members discussed procedures and the schedule for the facility with Missy Bader, water park manager, and Tom Leonhard and Matt Shauver of the city’s street and parks department.

Shauver noted that his plan has been to have the water park ready to open on Memorial Day weekend, which had been the traditional opening date prior to the coronavirus pandemic that hit in March 2020. (The facility opened last year, but not until July and then with limited capacity.)

Bader said its been a challenge hiring lifeguards thus far. Of the 25-plus guards that were on staff last year, she said about a dozen plan on returning. She also pointed out that having guards available during the week at the beginning of the season may be difficult with school in session until June 11.

Park board members Shauna Runkle, Chris Compton, Brian Ison and Giles Laux, absent Glen Bryant, voted to set May 29 as the target opening date. They plan on making other decisions about the water park, such as season prices, whether rentals will be allowed and the schedule for the year at their May 4 meeting. Those decisions will be contingent on staffing and any coronavirus restrictions or recommendations that may be in place. (State restrictions were lifted as of Tuesday, but Bader the board said they would check in with Jay County Health Department and Portland Mayor John Boggs before finalizing plans for the year.)

The board also continued its process toward creating its next five-year master plan. (The current plan expires at the end of the year.)

Board members reviewed some of the details of the current plan, including the list of stakeholders, a summary of park programs and its goals. They were also presented with the park survey that was conducted as part of the process of putting together the 2017-2021 plan.

They will take the next month to consider that data and any necessary updates, with a goal of finalizing survey questions by their May 4 meeting. The board also authorized Ison to move forward with the process of creating the survey via Google Forms.

Board members also discussed various ways to get the survey out to the public, including working with local schools, sending a message via the city’s Nixle notification service and partnering with civic organizations.

The board also approved increasing the starting rate for part-time summer park department employees to $9 hour. The rate for lifeguards had previously been bumped up to $9 per hour with an additional 25 cents for each year of experience. Runkle said she would communicate the changes to city hall.

In his parks update, Shauver said restrooms have been opened at Hudson Family Park, Weiler-Wilson Park and Haynes Park. He added that mowing and other park maintenance is underway

“We’re ready for a good year,” he said.