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Skate High with Hope asks city to consider matching funds for Phase 2 of Joshua Kinsman skate park
Summary
Representatives of Skate High with Hope (Joshua Kinsman Foundation) presented the second phase plan for the Reasoner Park skate facility, reporting roughly $120,000 raised and requesting the city consider a 2026 budget match toward a roughly $275,000 phase‑two build that would add a bowl and pump track.
Representatives of Skate High with Hope, the Joshua Kinsman Foundation, asked the Atchison City Commission to consider pairing city funds with the nonprofit's fundraising to begin Phase 2 of the Reasoner Park skate park, aiming to break ground in 2026.
The request matters because foundation leaders said Phase 2 would add a large bowl and pump track intended for both older and younger skaters, expanding a facility that opened in October 2021 and that the presenters said sees daily use. The organizers said they have raised about $120,000 and are seeking city support to close a roughly $275,000 cost estimate (including in‑kind donations).
Pam Klein, who introduced the group, said, "So, basically, we're just here to talk about the next phase, Phase 2 of the skate park, and see if you guys have any questions about the email, about our history, about anything like that." Jeremy Watkins, who spoke about the park's namesake, said the memorial project grew from community donations after the death of his stepson. "He was an avid skateboarder... when he left us, we were just kind of out of shock," Watkins said, describing why the family and community chose a skate park as a memorial.
Klein told the commission the group has continued fundraising since the park opened in October 2021 and is "at a 100 and give or take, $20,000," a phrasing commissioners and staff interpreted as about $120,000 raised so far. The group provided a plan showing the current installed area and proposed shaded areas for Phase 2 (the bowl and pump track), and they said the full Phase 2 estimate — allowing for in‑kind donations and adjustments — is about $275,000.
Commissioners and staff discussed practical concerns. Public works director Clinton McNamee said park siting and any flood risk near a nearby creek would be evaluated during the design engineering phase: "I think that would probably be a question for the eventual design engineer Phase 2." Klein said the original designers had already recommended a two‑level bowl to account for the creek.
Klein asked whether the commission could consider including a match in the 2026 budget and offered to meet with staff for a detailed review. "We're kind of at a point where we're like, okay... we need to know the input from the city, if they're gonna match us again," Klein said. Commissioners responded with interest in a follow‑up meeting: a staff meeting with city budgeting and park planning staff was offered to review costs, in‑kind work and a possible place in the 2026 capital plan.
The presenters said their fundraising methods include private donations, raffles, small community events, Oktoberfest fundraisers and in‑kind contributions from contractors; they also noted a prior one‑time skate‑park grant had been used and is not repeatable. Klein identified Pillar (design) and Artisan (contracting) as the firms previously used for construction and said the concrete mix and installation method are different from local flatwork and intended to last longer.
The commission did not take formal action at the meeting; commissioners invited staff and the foundation to schedule a budget and design follow‑up so the project could be considered for 2026 funding.
