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Park volunteers complete pond cleanup; county board hears $30,000 lighting proposal and replica bridge idea
Summary
Volunteers and park staff reported removal of large sediment volumes from Memorial Park pond and proposed accent lighting and a covered-bridge replica; the park seeks seed money and sponsors and warned that food-and-beverage funding is under state review.
A park representative told the Henry County Council that the county’s pond-dredging project at Memorial Park is nearly finished and that volunteers and donated professional work significantly reduced project costs.
Sheldon (park representative) reported the project removed about 38,000 cubic yards of material and said that improvement increased the pond’s water volume by roughly 7.6 million gallons. He said a small remaining area — about 2,000 square feet — and a path across the dam still need work.
The park representative presented a separate, not-yet-funded plan for accent lighting around the 6.5-acre pond. The proposed scope calls for eight 16-foot perimeter poles, each with two LED fixtures (roughly 80–100 watts each), and a budget estimate of about $30,000 for installation. The lighting engineer, identified in the meeting as Dave Detmer from Carmel, has agreed to donate design time; the park has about $4,000 already committed toward the project and is seeking additional seed funding and individual pole sponsors.
The park representative also described a longer-term idea to build a small replica of an 1834 covered bridge near the walkway between the pond basins for photographic and historic interest. He said local volunteer Jim Ward has researched the original bridge and that reclaimed barn beams or white oak could be used; no cost estimate or timeline was presented.
Why it matters: Council members and staff praised donated professional time and volunteer labor as ways to extend park budgets. Park officials said accent lighting would make the park safer and more attractive after dusk and would highlight Memorial Park as a county showcase.
Funding and state oversight: A county staff member warned the council that state legislators and the Department of Local Government Finance have been reviewing decades of local food-and-beverage ordinances and related expenditures; that review could affect future park funding because the county uses a portion of food-and-beverage revenues for park projects. The staff member said she has provided ordinances back to 1987 at legislators’ requests and that the matter remains unsettled.
Next steps: The park board will formally request any county funding; council members encouraged formal requests and noted the park department currently has unspent funds that could be discussed at a later meeting. Council members also encouraged sponsors and volunteer work to reduce direct county cost.
Ending: Park leaders invited council members to visit Memorial Park; the council responded positively and thanked volunteers and professionals who contributed free design and labor.
