Jan Haralson, with the Portniff Greenway Foundation, and a second foundation representative gave Pocatello City Council an update on completed trail work, near-term construction plans and maintenance needs during the council's meeting.

The Greenway reported several completed segments and identified funding sources and easement agreements that will enable upcoming connections. "Just about a year ago, September, we completed paving the Brennan Extension," Haralson said, adding the segment runs about 1,600 feet along North Main Extension across the river from Sacajawea Park and is on city property. Funding for that project came from Idaho Parks and Recreation and private donations, Haralson said.

The foundation described a pedestrian bridge to link the Brennan Extension into a loop around Sacajawea Park, funded by an ITD TAP grant with private-match donations; design is underway with Keller Associates and construction is expected in 2026. The foundation also reported completion last May of about 3,000 feet of trail across the fairgrounds toward the wellness complex, and an in-progress section alongside the interstate that production staff said ITD has built up to gravel and which the Greenway hopes to pave next summer.

"Main trailhead's probably gonna be at the MEC Center," the presenter said, and the foundation said Idaho Central has pledged to fund paving of that stretch. The group said it had secured access across private property from the West family and an easement donated by Mike Seibert to reach the fairgrounds. River of Life Church allowed a rest-area near the cross on the hillside, the Greenway said.

The foundation also reported an additional trail on the other side of Pocatello Creek up to Monte Vista, described in the presentation as "about 27 100 feet of new trail" and scheduled for construction in 2025 with Idaho Transportation funding and match from the Important Health Trust. The presenter said a pedestrian flasher would be installed at Monte Vista to improve safety.

Foundation representatives described several recent maintenance projects, including armoring about 400 feet of the Parrish Trail after spring erosion, riprap placement above Franklin Middle School funded by the foundation and installed with city assistance, and volunteer plantings of willow shoots along the Beverly Trail to protect a bank near Edson Victor Nature Area. The city park department has been credited repeatedly in the presentation for facilitating volunteer work and hauling materials.

The Greenway reported a "very significant donation" from the Abrazuski family (parents of Dr. Paul Abrazuski) intended as match for a TAP grant to connect the Abraszewski Trailhead to Pacific Recycling and North Main Extension; the foundation said it aims to apply for that grant in 2027 or 2028 and expects easement work to be in place by then. The foundation also said it is partnering with the city on a U.S. EPA community change grant to upgrade South Fifth Street, add trails between South Second and Fort Hall Mine Road, and make park water- and sewer-related improvements.

On organizational roles, the foundation recommended the council consider adding language to the PROST plan clarifying the respective responsibilities of the city (master planning, institutional coordination, financing, trail protection policy and land acquisition negotiations) and the nonprofit Greenway foundation (advocacy, fundraising, volunteer coordination and public outreach), referencing language from a 1992 implementation plan and a 2008 master plan.

Council members asked for use counts and trends; the presenter replied that Bannock Transportation Planning maintains counters on most trails and that survey results show strong public support for trail expansion. Council members also pressed on maintenance funding: the presenter said expecting the foundation alone to fund ongoing maintenance was "unrealistic."

The presenter said the foundation plans dedications for two interstate-adjacent trails roughly a year from now and fundraising events (dueling pianos) in April 2025 to support operating costs and maintenance.

Council members thanked the foundation for volunteer efforts and indicated support for incorporating a clearer city-nonprofit role statement into the upcoming PROST plan update.