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Finance Committee accepts $60,000 radio grant, several park donations and appropriates gazebo insurance funds
Summary
The Finance Committee and Common Council accepted a $60,000 county radio grant for fire/command vehicle radios, approved multiple community donations to Parks, Recreation & Forestry, and appropriated an insurance reimbursement to replace a downtown gazebo.
The West Bend Finance Committee on June 2 voted to accept a $60,000 grant from the Washington County Municipal Radio Grant Program to buy radios intended for a new command truck and support vehicles, the committee was told.
Chief Norin explained the county grant will outfit a command truck the city expects to receive this year and a support car arriving in June; he said radios purchased through the grant will also be used in a new engine expected in March 2026.
The committee also recommended that the Common Council accept multiple private donations to the Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department. Parks Director Mike presented the gifts and their uses:
- $280 from St. Lawrence Congregation for the city’s Special Olympics program. - $5,000 from the Russ Darrow Group as presenting sponsor for the 2025 Dirty Ninja Mud Run for kids. - $20,000 from the West Bend Sunrise Rotary Foundation for the Regner Park Aqua Park. - $9,000 from an anonymous donor toward Ridge Run Cabin renovations; Parks staff said this was the donor’s fourth donation and that the donor’s total commitment to the cabin project is $114,000. - $200 from the West Bend Disc Golf Club for improvements at Riverside Disc Golf Course. - An in-kind donation valued at $14,500 from Sprozzi and Carter Construction LLC for renovation of the White family cabin at Ridge Run Park.
The Finance Committee and council approved acceptance of the donations; council members thanked the donors for supporting park improvements and community programming.
Separately, the council authorized placing an insurance reimbursement of $56,366.50 into a designated account to fund future replacement of the gazebo at Old Settlers Park. Parks staff said the gazebo was removed after an automobile accident in October 2024; project manager Rick Fox obtained replacement cost estimates, and staff reported a quote of $126,411.11 to replace the gazebo in kind. Mike said the $56,366.50 reimbursement will be set aside pending a future decision on replacement timing and possible integration with a downtown master-plan reimagining of Old Settlers Park, which could include different configuration, utility upgrades and possibly restrooms.
All three items—the radio grant acceptance, the donations, and the insurance appropriation—were moved and approved by voice vote at the June 2 meeting.
