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Council Retreat: Parks, sports court and basement elevator top capital priority list
Summary
At a budget retreat, councilmembers and staff prioritized an elevator and basement finish to create rentable space and agreed to pursue multiple state grants and phased funding for parks upgrades including a new sports court, ballpark lighting and skate-park planning.
At a budget retreat, Gunnison councilmembers and staff prioritized projects for the upcoming fiscal year, placing an elevator and basement finish at the top of the capital list and identifying parks and recreation upgrades as near-term targets.
Staff presented a specification for a proposed sports court — an 8-inch border, 6-inch interior slabs with 4–5 inches of recycled concrete road base, post-tension cables at 4,500 psi, finishing and edging work — and noted the current estimate increases when adjustable hoops (three) are included; a single basic hoop on the estimate was $7,500. Using the cost ranges discussed, staff said the combined sports-court-and-bathroom package could total roughly $700,000, though several grant and phasing options were flagged to reduce the city’s upfront share.
The council said installing an elevator to access the basement was the priority because it enables a commercial finish that could generate rental income; finishing the basement and a proposed library-linked maker/STEM space (an estimated $25,000 element) were listed as follow-on items. Staff and council debated whether a full architectural stamp would be required for the elevator and basement work; one participant said a draftsman might suffice while staff cautioned electrical, structural and code inspections could require formal design and engineering.
To lower the local cost, staff identified multiple grant sources to pursue: a new state “recreational maintenance” grant targeted at rural communities, Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funding, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) (not eligible to apply until next year), and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which had supported park construction elsewhere. Staff noted application deadlines and recommended contacting state contacts (including Patrick Morrison and Mary “Molly” Naharro) immediately; one deadline referenced in the meeting was March 17 for a related opportunity.
Council members discussed phasing the parks work, using reserves, and the option to transfer utility-account funds into the general fund through a public hearing process to cover part of projects if grant dollars offset enough cost. The group reported $27,000 currently available in a municipal account that could be applied to the project.
The retreat closed with direction to staff to refine cost estimates, prioritize elevator and basement work, and assemble grant application materials.
