Economic development presents Central Park signage plan; trails group reports completion of North-side trail

Arkady Wysniewski, executive director of Glacier County Economic Development, presented draft signage for Central Park and said the organization received an $800 grant from a local community foundation to help pay for printed metal signs. He described proposed mounting at four railing corners and working with Sky Creative Works in Shelby to fabricate the signs; he said the design is flexible and the logo selection (city vs. chamber) needs further council direction.

Council members raised wind-load and structural concerns for attaching signs to the existing railing and suggested considering signposts or alternative mountings to avoid damage. Staff estimated each railing section at roughly 3 feet tall by 9 feet long and suggested sign sizes could be about 18–24 inches tall and 4–5 feet wide; the council agreed to revisit the logo question in a future work session.

A separate speaker representing Cutting Trails updated the council on trail work: the North-side Country Creek Trail is open, largely complete and ADA-accessible; other trails (Cooley Trail and Anna Jeffreys Trail) remain in service and future expansions were discussed as funding allows.

Why it matters: Small, funded investments in signage can improve wayfinding and public use of public space, and completed trail segments increase recreation access and ADA accessibility for residents and visitors.

Next steps: Staff will check railing strength and return to a leadership or work session to finalize sign mounting and logo selection; Cutting Trails will continue planning future trail phases and share engineering renditions when ready.