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Council hears walking-trail grant plans, approves pursuing new sound system and tables stipend request for farmers market manager
Summary
Council discussed a Great Strides grant to improve the park walking trail (designs ready; grant writer fee $600) but tabled formal approval pending budget review. Members approved pursuing a new meeting-room sound system. The farmers market committee reported vendor rules, fees and a $673.70 balance; a proposal for a seasonal $500/month stipend was tabled.
The council heard three connected items: a Great Strides walking-trail grant application, a request to buy a new sound system for council meetings and a report from the farmers market committee that included a proposed seasonal stipend for the market manager.
Grant request and scope: A council member (Joanne) said engineering and site plans for a walking-trail upgrade were completed and that the city should update approvals before submitting a Great Strides grant application. She said a grant writer would charge $600 (a discounted fee from a standard $1,200). Joanne said the grant covers much of the project but that some staff time and local match items could still fall to the city. Because the council has not finalized this year’s budget, members moved to table formal approval to apply until the next meeting when the budget is available.
Sound system: Council members agreed to pursue the purchase or estimates for a new sound system to improve meeting acoustics; discussion included the desire for distributed speakers (rather than one loudspeaker) and the technical complexity. The council voted to move forward with seeking options.
Farmers market update and stipend proposal: The farmers market committee provided a report: the market runs Thursdays with the season opening the first Thursday in May (May 7) at 7 a.m.; vendor fees are $50 annually or $10 per day; average daily vendors are six to eight; and the committee’s beginning balance is $673.70. Committee members said funds have been used for sunscreen curtains and similar improvements and proposed using market funds or a modest city stipend to retain a market manager. One council member proposed a seasonal stipend of about $500 per month for three to four months for the market manager; council members expressed support for the market but agreed to table stipend approval until the budget is reviewed.
The council recorded no numeric vote tallies in the transcript for tabling the grant and stipend items or approval to pursue a sound-system estimate; motions were made, seconded and recorded as carried or tabled as indicated.
