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Commissioners approve funding shift to cover drainage overrun on Chenworth Trail extension
Summary
Parks Director Rob Bishop said drainage problems increased the Chenworth Trail extension bid to about $970,247; commissioners agreed to reallocate EDIT/ARPA funds to cover the overrun and approved the contract after debate over process and long-term maintenance.
Kosciusko County Parks Director Rob Bishop told commissioners the lowest bid for the Chenworth Trail extension exceeded available project funds because of unexpected drainage repairs. Commissioners moved to approve the contract and to reallocate funds from the county\'s EDIT and ARPA accounts to cover the shortfall.
Bishop said the bid package totaled $970,247 and that drainage repairs accounted for roughly $394,994 of the construction cost; he said the county had spent $71,250 on design work. He explained the county initially allocated $750,000 (largely ARPA funds) and that additional EDIT funds could be used to cover the remainder.
“We think that the drainage issues cost us $394,994 on the construction side, and we allocated another … $71,250 to doing the design work,” Bishop said. He told commissioners the drainage work corrects long-standing issues on Old Road 30, will create a new outlet to the river rather than flowing through private ponds, and will allow the trail connection to West Haven Trailer Park and other neighborhoods.
Commissioners discussed process concerns, including one commissioner who said they did not want to approve a project and then find funding afterward. County staff explained ARPA funds must be contracted by year-end and that the EDIT fund has line items—$250,000 for HELP project matches and $500,000 for parks projects—already appropriated in the county capital improvement plan for 2024. Commissioners also stressed the need to plan for ongoing maintenance and encouraged parks staff to explore volunteer "friends of the park" groups or donations to offset long-term costs.
A motion to approve the contract and authorize use of the remaining EDIT funds for the drainage component was moved and seconded; the board voted in favor. Commissioners recorded appreciation for the parks board recommendation and said staff had made efforts to ensure a safe design, including flashing pedestrian signs for crossings. The approved work includes both trail construction and a substantial drainage rebuild described by staff as nearly half the project cost.
