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Columbia City parks staff report donations, equipment purchases and Eagle Park upgrade plans
Summary
Board received a financial briefing covering donation balances, event revenue, equipment purchases, an electric panel upgrade at Eagle Park, and potential reuse of the skate park site; staff said the board will monitor field marking and scheduling during a spring soccer transition.
Park staff reviewed the Columbia City parks budget and capital projects at the Jan. 27 meeting, reporting current balances, recent equipment purchases and several planned upgrades to facilities.
Rosie Coyle, presenting financials, said the parks’ donations account holds roughly $268,000. Staff reported that father-daughter dance tickets were nearly sold out for Friday and sold out for Saturday — the two nights together account for about 800 attendees — and that the father-daughter event had taken in about $14,000 so far this year. Coyle and staff said the event and other sponsorships typically fund themselves through local business contributions.
Staff described several capital and maintenance items. The Eagle Park locker-room building needs a new furnace and an upgraded electrical panel; the presenters said the plan is to replace a pieced-together system with a new 200-amp service and to clear obsolete circuits so future additions can be supported safely. Park staff also described a recent equipment purchase: a new 50-foot towable boom lift intended for field and facility maintenance, plus a new baseball field drag modeled on high-school equipment. The parks’ equipment fund was quoted at about $36,000 for additional planned purchases, including mowers.
On the skate park, staff said work is on hold until warmer weather; concrete and finishing work require consistent temperatures. The board discussed repurposing parts of the old skate footprint for a small-dog park or additional parking and said utilities and cameras are already near that area, which could reduce construction needs. Park staff emphasized floodplain and drainage considerations when discussing potential turf and grading changes.
Staff gave a preliminary figure for a new local food-and-beverage tax revenue stream that funds Eagle Park projects: “we're averaging about 29 to 35,000 a month,” one presenter said. The board was told those funds carry restrictions and generally cannot be used for wages but are eligible for infrastructure at Eagle Park, playgrounds, the amphitheater and related assets. Staff said the parks anticipate about $400,000 in annual revenues when facilities are fully open following pandemic closures.
No formal appropriations or new spending approvals were taken at the meeting; staff said they will continue to track donations, event income and equipment needs and will present items requiring formal appropriation in subsequent meetings.
