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Council establishes bench‑sponsorship program for town parks, authorizes two vendor options
Summary
The council approved a bench‑sponsorship program to add benches to town parks. It authorized solicitation of donations through the town’s Pipeline website and social media, selected two vendor options from the packet, and authorized the town administrator to run the program; the motion included language about plaques and was approved unanimously.
Charlestown’s town council voted April 28 to create a bench‑sponsorship program for town parks, authorize solicitation of public donations and select two vendor options for bench purchases.
Councilors discussed multiple bench styles, installation methods (including whether a concrete base is needed), and memorial/plaque options. Miss Hilton, Parks & Recreation director, confirmed the listed vendor benches use recycled plastic seats and metal frames. Councilors and members of the public debated durability, installation and whether benches should be mounted to concrete pads to deter theft and stabilize seating.
The council authorized soliciting donations through the town’s Pipeline website and social media to underwrite purchases; the motion named two vendor options (packet numbers 1 and 3, described in the meeting as “Barco” and “Belson Outdoor”). The motion also authorized the town administrator to administer the program and included language as read back by the clerk about plaque limits. Council discussion included a proposed plaque sponsorship suggested at $200 per plaque as a possible fundraising level; the motion recorded by the clerk authorizes the program and gave the administrator authority to finalize details.
Councilor Marr moved to create the program and Councilor Stokes seconded; the council voted 5–0 to approve the motion. Town staff will administer program details including which bench styles are appropriate for each park, coordinating aesthetics so benches in the same park match, and whether to require concrete bases depending on site conditions. The motion as read into the record authorized program administration by the town administrator and solicitation of donations, with two vendor options and clerk language about plaque limits.
The council asked staff to return with installation details and a procedure to manage memorial plaques and placement across town properties.
