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Keene EDC approves FY2025-26 budget; board earmarks $100,000 for skate park
Summary
The Keene Economic Development Corporation Type B board approved the FY2025-26 budget and added a $100,000 earmark for a skateboard park after debate about prior direction and reserve balances; the final vote was 3-1.
The Keene Economic Development Corporation Type B board approved its fiscal year 2025-26 budget and amended it to add $100,000 earmarked to begin a skateboard-park project. The amended budget passed 3-1.
City staff presented the proposed budget, explaining that the board's revenue estimate for 2025-26 is about $364,000 and that operating expenditures (excluding capital projects) are roughly $322,000, leaving a modest operating surplus of about $41,000. Staff said planned capital expenditures would require drawing on reserves and that, if all capital projects were funded as proposed, the net position would reflect a draw of roughly $213,000 from reserves. Staff reported approximately $609,000 in the board's bank accounts, not including proceeds from a parcel the board has not yet sold.
Board discussion centered on a previously discussed skateboard-park project. Several board members said prior minutes reflected board direction to add a line item for the skate park but that no amount had been recorded in the packet. Some members recalled an informal figure of about $300,000 discussed in prior meetings; others said the survey the city used undercounted the skate park's potential users because the target demographic is less likely to appear on the social-media survey sample.
Following debate over timing, cost and whether engineering and soil investigation needed to be paid for before construction, a board member withdrew an earlier motion to approve the budget as presented and instead moved to approve the budget with an added $100,000 line item to begin the skate-park work (engineering, initial design or matching grant funds). That motion was seconded and passed on a 3-1 vote.
Staff said the $100,000 is intended to "get it started" (engineering, initial site work and pursuit of grants) and that additional funding or grant support would be sought before construction. Staff also noted other capital items in the budget, including an increased allocation for east-side sidewalks (discussed by staff as $200,000) and other multi-year projects that may be phased to spread costs.
Board members stressed that adding the line item does not obligate immediate full construction and that staff should continue to seek grants and bids; one member asked that any future major expenditures be clearly reflected in minutes and returned to the board for authorization.
The budget approval followed procedural motions, including a brief withdrawal and re-motion to incorporate the skate-park amendment. The board directed staff to continue outreach for bids and grant opportunities for the skate park and to ensure the budget language reflects the board's direction.
No exact construction contract or final skate-park price was approved at the meeting.
