Council approves park grants and SilverSneakers designation; moves golf-course lease amendment to next meeting

Park and recreation staff asked the council to approve several actions to maintain and support city facilities and a small local business.

Brian Silver introduced two grant requests to the Virginia Community Foundation: one to restore the Alcott Park Italian American building and another to buy replacement pumps for the Alcott Park fountain. Staff said in-kind staff time can be used as the grant match for the building work; Olcott Park Brewfest offered to cover the match for the fountain pump grant. Councilors moved and approved resolutions to apply for and accept the grants; one vote recorded a recusal.

Jim Hunt and parks staff also told the council Tivity Health’s SilverSneakers program offered to designate the Iron Trail Motors event center fitness room as a SilverSneakers site, which would allow eligible Medicare/Medicaid plan members to use the facility while the city receives small per-visit reimbursements. Jim Hunt described the reimbursement as a modest per-visit payment and said administrative tasks were manageable; the council approved entering the agreement.

Separately, the Coppernickel restaurant at the golf course asked to modify its lease to allow winter closure (roughly October–April) because of low winter traffic and visibility from the highway. Council members who met with the owners recommended allowing winter closure to help the business remain viable. The council directed staff and the city attorney to draft a lease addendum and scheduled formal consideration at the next council meeting (July 28). The motion to bring a draft amendment back passed after a recorded roll call (motion carried 5–2).