Lebanon parks director outlines demolition plan, waterpark repairs and safety fixes

At its regular meeting the Lebanon Board of Park Commissioners heard a director's report detailing a package of maintenance, safety and project updates across the city's parks and recreation properties.

John (director) told the board the city has secured possession of the former EnviroChem site on Thompson Street and the council approved funds to demolish most structures there; the large stone building that holds an eclipse mural will remain and receive exterior and roof repairs. "We're gonna leave the big stone building where the eclipse mural is... but eventually, we will dress it up," John said.

Why it matters: staff said the demolition will remove a long-standing eyesore and resolve outstanding lien issues; demolition was scheduled to begin the week of the nineteenth. The director said the council and county worked with attorneys to clear title issues and that the city has used some of the property for storage for five to six years.

Operations and repairs at Seashore Waterpark featured prominently. John reported that a motor failure briefly closed the splash pad and that an impeller failure in the wave pool required manual operation until parts arrived; staff restored service within hours. He credited maintenance and concessions staff for quickly restoring operations during periods of repeated power surges, saying, "Our backup plan worked flawlessly as we were able to use our jet packs to run our water park concessions and admission windows." Taylor Orr, the office manager, and other staff were named for rapid troubleshooting.

Attendance: John said cooler, wetter weather in June reduced daily attendance on some days (he cited a 5,000-guest shortfall on June 18 compared with the prior year), but cumulative attendance is near last year's totals as of the most recent report.

Public-safety and facilities notes: staff are placing dirt and seed on steep asphalt edges around the conservation pond to reduce erosion; the Conservation Pier final punch list has been completed; crews removed an aging metal slide near the pickleball courts. John confirmed signage at the hot pond and the conservation pond prohibits swimming, wading and ice fishing and said dispatch is notified when violations are reported. The Big 4 Trail has areas where old slag is heaving; the city contracted Triangle Asphalt to grind several spots and is evaluating limited repairs because full repaving is not in the current budget.

Pickleball and amenities: the director said LED lights are installed at Abner Longley and that Memorial Park lights will be converted to LEDs; security cameras have been reinstalled. Players raised concerns about the existing timer that shuts lights off after a short interval; staff said they will investigate changes to the timer. The board heard plans for small benches and an upcoming pickleball tournament.

Other items: crews removed old light bases and completed work at Rees Park; staff are collecting quotes to repair fence damage at Stoneater after a vehicle accident; several community events'including the Buick Olds Pontiac car show and the Boone County Cancer Society'were successful despite weather challenges. John praised volunteers and maintenance staff for handling extreme heat and unusual conditions.

Board procedure: the board approved the June 4 minutes and later approved claims by voice vote; the meeting adjourned after routine business. No formal ordinances or grant awards were presented or voted on during this session.

Next steps: Kevin Krulich, who was absent, is scheduled to brief the board at the next meeting on project updates.