Playground opens at township park; trustees approve applying for federal LWCF restroom grant

Parks staff told trustees the new community playground is complete: fence and gates are installed, a baby swing was added, and use has been robust since opening. Staff said most compliance discrepancies (ramp slope, turf seams, a railing gap) will be corrected and that signage and social-media response have been positive.

The trustees discussed options to add security cameras at the park. Staff presented a wired option that would require boring under pavement (estimated $4,000–$5,000) and alternatives including cellular (deer-cam style) cameras, mounting a 360-degree camera on a maintenance-building conduit, or using a line-of-sight electric/Wi‑Fi feed from an existing tower to avoid extensive boring.

On a separate but related agenda item, trustees considered restroom infrastructure. Staff recommended a vaulted restroom (to avoid installation of septic lines and extensive excavation) and disclosed an estimated total project cost of about $300,000, with the building itself costing roughly $191,000. Staff said the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) — administered in Ohio by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and funded by offshore-drilling receipts — offers a 50% reimbursement grant. The trustees approved a resolution authorizing the township to file an LWCF application, agree to obligate funds to complete the project and to be reimbursed, and to proceed with the application timeline. The board read the authorization resolution aloud and voted to approve it by voice vote.

Trustees and staff noted that matching funds could come from stacked grants, donations, state funds and township funds; the grant is reimbursement-based, and staff said they would not proceed with construction without confirmed reimbursement sources.