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Council reviews parks and CIP priorities; manager pitches resort tax and grant mix for River’s Edge fishing pier
Summary
City staff proposed a mix of resort tax funds, an FWP community pond grant and local donations to renovate the River’s Edge fishing pier, and presented placeholders for City Hall, pool and park parking projects in the FY26 capital improvement plan.
City staff presented a multi‑part capital improvement program that includes parks work, City Hall and court modernization, and planned vehicle and equipment replacements.
Manager Eric Hanks said staff plans to target roughly $100,000 of resort tax funds for a full renovation of the River’s Edge fishing pier but will pursue a Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) community pond grant (managers said the program can issue up to $40,000 but historically awards about $20,000). Hanks said he will also contact the Rotary and other potential donors to help close the gap if the full renovation costs approximately $140,000.
A member of the public suggested using a local builder (referred to as Bashkow) and volunteer labor to reduce costs. Hanks acknowledged the offer and said staff would ensure any volunteer-built pier meets engineered specifications before proceeding.
Other CIP items included a City Hall exterior paint project, restroom and court improvements, a potential $135,000 stainless-steel pool boiler replacement (to be procured via sealed bid because the value exceeds $80,000), splash pad sprinkler replacement expected to be under $35,000, and a placeholder of $30,000 for additional parking at Columbia Falls Park West until more precise cost estimates are available.
Why it matters: The CIP decisions determine local infrastructure investments and how resort tax and grant dollars are allocated.
Hanks said the total proposed CIP number for the parks and related transfers is roughly $381,000 and that staff will refine cost estimates for larger items such as parking and the Columbus Park West project. "That's where I'm targeting for the execution if we were to do the full pavilion renovation and it actually cost a $140,000," Hanks said regarding the fishing pier.
What’s next: Staff will pursue the FWP grant application (due January or February), continue outreach to service organizations for donations and return to the council with firm cost estimates for the Columbus Park parking and other larger capital items.
