Winona parks director lays out 2027–31 capital priorities, urges cautious use of dedication fees

Jake, the parks director, presented a revised five-year capital plan derived from a recent 10-year briefing to elected officials, recommending the board prioritize projects that can be completed using existing parkland dedication funds while leaving larger items for later decisions. He said the city faces uncertainty over the public safety building and a possible purchase of Maywood School, both of which affect project timing and debt-service capacity.

The director said there is carryover funding earmarked to renovate the Schaefer shelter and that work will likely occur this fall or over the coming winter. He recommended shifting the parks garage from parkland dedication funds to general-obligation funding because recent cost increases would “basically wipe out everything that we've accumulated in parkland dedication fees” if paid from those fees. He added the garage location could be flexible and might be sited at Maywood if the city acquires the property.

For near-term work, Jake proposed resurfacing and restriping basketball courts at Naywood and Frostwoods parks and extending a sidewalk at Frostwoods to link the playground to the court. He told the board the Firemen's Park playground dates from about 1997 and has drainage problems; replacing it would require raising the grade in the lowest part of the park, potentially removing some large silver maple trees but retaining canopy shade, and could include ADA surfacing and sidewalk tie-ins. Jake said that drainage and surfacing choices drive the price and suggested a planning-level estimate on that site of roughly $200,000, depending on surfacing and utility work.

The director reviewed expected parkland dedication receipts tied to developments including River Place and North Point phase 2, noting checks arrive when developers receive building permits. He said Monona Village (the Green Line buildout) could generate large dedication revenue if later phases proceed, but that TIFF funds linked to the development are restricted to specific infrastructure and may not be freely available for park construction.

On parks maintenance and tree work, Jake said removals for hazard trees are now charged to the operating budget (contracted services), while replacements come from capital funds; large removals can create substantial replacement costs and the department is trying to preserve some replacement funding for replanting 15–20 trees in the system.

Jake also updated the board on pool needs: an ongoing leak investigation suggests the main pool is losing roughly 10,000 gallons per day (compared with an estimated 5,000–7,000 gallons from normal evaporation and use). He said further end-of-season pressure testing is needed, and that he placed a $100,000 placeholder in next year’s budget for leak repairs while a pool-replacement feasibility study remains a 2031 planning item.

The presentation closed with a reminder that the capital budget must be finalized in July or August and that the board should consider directing parkland dedication funds toward manageable, visible projects in the near term rather than using those funds for ongoing maintenance or equipment.