Parks advisory board weighs sewer, road repairs and caretaker-house options at Gun Park

The Fort Scott Parks Advisory Board discussed a package of capital and maintenance items for Gun Park on a regular meeting that included sewer for the new shower house, repaving badly deteriorated park roads, and whether the city could lease or otherwise market the vacant caretaker house as a revenue source.

The board — which at the meeting included Parks Advisory Board members Danny Craig, Frank Halsey, Don Crane, Chris Catalano, Kimberly Young, Daniel Wilson and Troy McLaughlin, and city staff Lisa (city staff) and Norman (city staff) — heard staff describe preliminary cost signals and implementation questions. Board members did not adopt any binding policy or spending authorization during the discussion; instead they asked staff to obtain formal cost estimates and legal guidance and to return with recommendations.

Why it matters: Gun Park is one of Fort Scott’s largest park properties and the subject of multiple deferred maintenance items. Decisions about sewer, road surfacing and whether to convert the caretaker house to a short-term rental would affect near-term capital budgets, ongoing maintenance needs and liability exposure.

Most of the discussion centered on three linked problems: the shower house plumbing, the park’s internal road network and the vacant caretaker house. A staff printout referenced an earlier allocation of roughly $40,000 “tagged” for sewer work at the shower house; board members said that figure may not cover full sewer installation if more extensive trenching or connections are required. Board members repeatedly noted that if sewer is to be installed it is more efficient to run it before paving the road, to avoid costly bores beneath new asphalt.

Board members raised the road’s condition as a high priority. One participant said an overlay or partial resurfacing would not address deeper failures, and that a realistic program of repairs could exceed the $200,000 figure discussed informally. Members discussed phasing the work (half one year, half the next) and seeking county assistance or other partners to stretch local funds. The board emphasized safety concerns and described the road as “getting pretty dangerous.”

On the caretaker house, members discussed whether the city can lease the property to a private operator to manage short-term rentals (for example, an Airbnb-style listing), or whether the city would need to own and operate such a rental directly. Members asked staff to research statutory limits and insurance/liability issues before moving forward. Rough renovation ballparks were mentioned during discussion — speakers said estimates could range from about $20,000 at a very low end up to $60,000 or more depending on scope — and members asked staff to solicit contractor quotes and assess the likely payback timeline.

Board members also discussed several related items affecting campground operations and visitor services. Norman and staff described progress on a plan to put a New Wave internet dish and relay equipment on the new shower-house roof to deliver point-to-point connectivity; the vendor’s subscription fee was described informally as about $70 per month and the vendor would reportedly supply the dish and some equipment. Board members discussed the possibility that improved connectivity could support campground reservations, on-site guest Wi‑Fi and cameras; members noted the city’s website is provided by CivicPlus, not the local consultant mentioned by one speaker.

Other operational items discussed included whether water bottle-fill stations at Riverfront and Gunn parks had been serviced (staff said the water had been shut off and those stations were not addressed prior to shutoff) and the need to coordinate with the water department on reactivation.

Next steps and timeline: Board members directed staff to obtain updated contractor estimates (including multiple quotes where required by policy) and to check legal/regulatory limits on leasing or contracting for short-term rental operations. The group agreed to revisit prioritization at a forthcoming work session scheduled for April 24 (date discussed during the meeting). No formal motions or spending authorizations were recorded on the sewer, road or caretaker-house proposals during the session.

The board also flagged retaining walls within Gun Park and other longer-term projects for inclusion in a refreshed five-year plan.