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County's $30,000 allocation per town prompts plans for playgrounds, kiosks and park improvements
Summary
Council members discussed using $30,000 county-designated funds for community development projects such as playground replacement, kiosks for trail access, fence repairs and park benches. The council asked residents for ideas and set an August 13 decision date.
Council members described a county program that allocates $30,000 to each town for community development purposes and discussed potential uses for Emery's share.
Ideas raised included replacing playground equipment, repairing or replacing the chain-link fence around the park, installing informational kiosks that show local trails and access points, adding park benches, and using a soil conditioner byproduct to address alkaline soil problems at a town site. A council member reported an estimate from a playground components company, BuildYourOwn (referred to in the transcript as "BYO"), that a set of playground components similar to the town's existing equipment would cost about $22,000 before any local adjustments.
Council members discussed that the county funds can be used for multiple small projects rather than one single project and that the funds could be matched or added to the town's capital projects fund. One council member noted the town has $56,000 in a capital projects account from a prior grant cycle and asked whether $10,000 could be allocated to a feasibility study; the transcript indicates the grant did come through and that $56,000 remains available for capital projects.
Council direction at the meeting was to solicit ideas from residents (via flyers or Facebook) and to bring final proposals back for a decision on Aug. 13. Staff and volunteers were assigned to collect proposals and cost estimates so the council could make a final allocation decision at that meeting.
