Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Trail Project topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Brooklyn Main Street outlines $610,000 plan for phase 1 of Monon Trail in Kirklin
Summary
A Brooklyn Main Street representative told the Kirklin council the group has raised about $112,500 in cash donations and has pledges and land donations toward an estimated $610,000 phase-1 Monon Trail segment; volunteers and additional grants would cover matching funds and clearing work planned for the fall.
A Brooklyn Main Street representative presented a draft donor report to the Kirklin Town Council describing fundraising and a phased plan to build the Monon Trail through the town.
The presenter said, “we have cash income today, of $112,500 in donations,” and added the group has a $65,000 pledged contribution from the Clinton County Community Foundation and a $12,500 pledge from Farmers Bank. The representative described donated parcels the group is surveying and said the phase-1 route would run from State Road 38 along the old Monon rail line to Travelers Point Distillery on Madison Street, a little over half a mile.
The proposal estimated phase-1 construction at about $610,000, with roughly a few hundred thousand already in grants and donations and an expected need for matching funds. “We will go until the money runs out,” the presenter said when asked about timing; the immediate tasks are completing surveys, deeds and title work, then doing brush clearing and excavation this fall.
Council members asked about procurement and timeline. The presenter said the group has one contractor’s preliminary cost estimate but no formal bids yet, and that the $60,000 brush-clearing figure is an early planning number. He described longer-term ambitions to connect to neighboring counties and regional trail systems but emphasized those phases would follow community feedback, engineering input and funding availability.
The council heard questions about whether phase 1 would include stone or asphalt surfacing; the presenter said the group expects to at least install stone and continue seeking grant funding to complete paving in later stages. He also said donated land would be appraised for donor tax records once deeds are prepared.
Next steps noted by the presenter included finishing survey and title work, engaging legal counsel for deeds, pursuing additional grants and crowding in volunteer and corporate support ahead of clearing work planned for the coming fall. The council did not take a formal vote on the project; the presentation served to inform the council and solicit local feedback and technical input.
