WARSAW — The Warsaw Park Board met Tuesday evening, Feb. 9, for a year-end review of 2015 and a look forward to what 2016 has in store.
Topping off the “new business” portion of the agenda was approval of the Tennis Association agreement for 2016. The agreement is between the board, Warsaw High School and the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department and is for an annual tennis program for kids.
The board voted unanimously to approve the agreement for this year.
Next was the year-end report, recapping projects from 2015. Projects included:
- Staining the exterior of the Nye Youth Cabin and installing a metal roof
- Repairing the Beyer Farm Trail boardwalk
- Replacing outdated playground equipment that had been around since the 1960s an running an ADA accessible sidewalk from the Richardson Dubois shelter to the playground and parking areas
- Replacing dead or damaged trees at McKinley Park and Central Park
- Constructing a new shelter at Pike Lake Campground
- Adding storage for equipment, holiday decorations and other items
- Converting ornamental lights in Central Park, Municipal Park, Bixler Park and Pike Lake Beach to energy-efficient LED lights
- Replacing the Pike Lake public access ramp with a new, ADA-accessible boat ramp
- Installing a nine-hole disc golf course at Lucerne Park
- Implementing the Clean Water Art Project at Central Park
- Installing a memorial garden at Kiwanis Park
- Adding five LED rope light figurines to the Central Park Christmas display
Among other new equipment purchases was an enclosed trailer that so far has been used for supplies and as a refreshment stand during the Christmas display at Central Park. If the need arises, it can also serve as a mobile office and command center during an emergency situation.
Recreation Director Sheila Wieringa gave a report on activities for 2015. The concert series, she said, was well attended. Several activities, like community canoeing and the Christmas Countdown, saw an increase in attendance from 2014.
Wieringa pointed out that attendance has dropped at the Mantis Skate Park from when it first opened. She attributed this to the fact that many of the kids and teens who used to skateboard there have grown up and the younger crowd may not necessarily be taking advantage of the park’s availability.
Wieringa said she would like to see skate park attendance improve and plans to look into outreach options like roller hockey or special skate nights.
The Girls Night Out was canceled in 2015 due to low attendance and will be replace with Coffee and Canvas in 2016.
A financial report for 2015 showed an increase in revenue from such park services as campground rental, table and building rental and other uses. Other areas showed a slight decrease, like pavilion rental, which fluctuates from year to year.
Other News
- Park Superintendent Larry Plummer presented some possible designs for new banners in Central Park.
- The board discussed the possibility of using a new program called Board Pack to present information during meetings. This would greatly reduce the amount of paper used. A drawback would be that the program requires an internet connection.