Kosciusko County parks board requests $3,000 from Community Foundation for Chinworth Bridge maintenance, hears multiple trail updates

The Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board on April 9 approved a request that the Community Foundation transfer $3,000 into a county Chinworth Bridge maintenance subfund to cover routine mowing and six months of portable-toilet service ahead of volunteer cleanup work at the Chinworth Bridge trailhead.

The board’s action followed a presentation from a Friends of the Trails representative, Steve, who said volunteers will clear invasive vegetation and that a combination of county mowing and volunteer work will make “an immediate visual difference in the park,” and that the group sought short-term vendor funding to support the April 25 volunteer workday.

Why it matters: Board members said they prefer that donor-designated foundation money be routed into a county subfund so the funds retain their Chinworth-specific designation while the county issues payments to vendors. The board approved the transfer by voice vote after an amended motion; no formal roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Details of the request and vendors: Steve described a mowing arrangement with a neighborhood resident, Kayla Moore, who has agreed to continue mowing the trailhead lawn for $50 per mowing. The board discussed portable-toilet service from Bruner and Yoder at $125 per month for six months (about $750). The $3,000 transfer the board requested was presented as sufficient to seed the subfund for these and related near-term maintenance costs; the transcript records the current subfund balance at about $11,000.

Other project updates: The board heard a series of project briefings. Board member Rob summarized work with Pearston engineers on the Kirsten/Pearson Road trail project and said staff are evaluating whether the project could fit the Indiana Department of Natural Resources ‘land and water’ grant by adding elements beyond a simple trail alignment. Another speaker, Mike, reported that Grace College will relocate roughly 1,100 truckloads of dirt from a field-house excavation across the street to a county site to help build the Winona Lake Bike Park, with initial shaping expected before a mid‑May event and the bike-park builder onsite in July for phase two.

Webster–Syracuse phase and INDOT requirements: Dan updated the board on a north‑stretch phase of a Webster project that lies in the county. He said earlier commitments had provided a 10% local match but INDOT required the work be split into phases. A 2021 cost estimate for the north stretch was about $1.1 million for roughly four miles, and Dan warned current construction prices are likely higher than that estimate.

Next steps and deadlines: Staff told the board the Chinworth Bridge Trailhead grant submission is targeted for April 29; the board intends to present materials to county commissioners on May 4 and to the council on May 14. The Friends of the Trails workday is scheduled for April 25.

What was not decided: The transcript records no formal vote tally for the $3,000 transfer beyond a voice vote; details such as the exact number of mowings to be paid from the fund and the permanent schedule for portable-toilet service (especially in winter months) were left for later discussion. The board also discussed where to place portable toilets and adding a waste receptacle near the unit to reduce trash and potential extra cleaning charges.

The meeting adjourned after routine business.