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Staff briefs Munster Park Board on concerts, trails, donations and staffing shortages
Summary
Town staff updated the Park Board on summer concerts and concessions, trail repaving and sidewalk plans with NIPSCO permission, a $10,000 donation for Centennial Park, and two maintenance-staff vacancies that have been posted.
Town staff gave a broad summer report to the Munster Park Board, outlining concert logistics, park construction updates, upcoming events and staffing challenges.
Staff said Centennial Park concerts continue this summer, with performances typically starting at 6:30 p.m. (and a later July date starting at 7:30 p.m.), rotating food trucks each week and the same beer vendor handling concessions. "The concert out there start at 06:30," a staff member said. Staff added that concessions and pool operations are running, with a drinking fountain installed and water-jug availability restored after a complaint.
On capital projects, staff reported that Westlake Park’s restroom/building work has masonry and roof sheeting underway and expects the facility to open around Labor Day if progress continues. The NIPSCO Fisher Street Trail repave is proceeding: the council previously approved the Columbia West segment and staff are seeking quotes for Columbia East; staff noted that NIPSCO gave permission for work on its corridor and also for a roughly 90-foot sidewalk segment at Harrison next to Public Works/Fire Station 2.
The board heard that Munster was lead partner on a recent ribbon-cutting for a ditch/bridging project done in partnership with Highland and public-works staff, and staff thanked volunteers for reuse of excess bricks to build disc-golf tee boxes.
Staff also announced a $10,000 donation from Kathy Sharp, made to the Munster Civic Foundation to fund Centennial Park improvements such as a porch swing. "We received a $10,000 donation... for an improvement at Centennial Park from Kathy Sharp," the staff member said.
Finally, staff reported two full-time maintenance positions recently vacated, with vacancies posted and one additional budgeted maintainer position remaining unfilled in anticipation of budget cuts.
What happens next: staff will coordinate public-outreach dates for possible land-acquisition discussions and continue to solicit bids for trail and paving work.
