Council OKs $10,000 from parkland fund for comprehensive outdoor recreation plan update
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Summary
Portage council approved a $10,000 contract with Vierbicher to update the city’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP), a five‑year plan required for eligibility for state recreational grants including Knowles‑Nelson funds; the last plan was issued in February 2019.
The Portage City Common Council voted to allocate $10,000 from parkland fees to hire Vierbicher to update the city's Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP), a five-year plan the city must renew to remain eligible for certain state grant programs.
Parks staff said the CORP update is needed to preserve eligibility for grants such as Knowles‑Nelson and trail grants. The current plan, staff said, was completed in February 2019 and is now past the five-year refresh window.
Parks staff described the CORP as a planning tool to list and prioritize passive-park projects such as trails and connections between existing pathways. Staff told the council they solicited quotes and that Vierbicher (the 2019 vendor) offered continuity and understanding of the community. The parkland fund balance presented to the council was $62,000; after the Charters of Freedom allocation and the CORP contract there would remain a balance for future projects, staff said.
Council member Flinkert questioned the return on investment for a $10,000 outlay; parks staff cited a past project — the Beasley Pavilion and trail work at Pawcat Park — that leveraged the plan to secure roughly $200,000 in outside grant funding for a $300,000-plus project.
Action: Alderperson Bernander moved to approve use of parkland funds in the amount of $10,000 to Vierbicher for the CORP update; Alderperson Wetzel seconded. The council approved the motion by roll call; all present voted aye and the motion passed.
Staff will contract with Vierbicher to begin the CORP update and use the finished plan to pursue grant opportunities for trails, shelters and other outdoor-recreation investments.
