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Heritage education: Teaching public about Auglaize County park system goal for 2010 |
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Wednesday, 02 December 2009 |
KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
Using grant funding, the director of Auglaize County’s park district says in 2010 they are looking toward the future.
At approximately $108,000, the Heritage Trails Park District’s proposed budget for 2010 has not changed much other than some grant funding.
Director Allison Brady said increasing her hours to 22 from 20 hours per week is creating a slight increase in salary to $22,800, but no change in the rate she is paid per hour.
Rounding out the budget are $39,000 for contract services, $18,000 for supplies, $6,000 for professional services, $4,000 for advertising and printing, $3,200 each for travel and rentals, $3,000 for other expenses, and $2,000 for equipment. Benefits are
approximately $5,000.
“We’re trying to keep our bottom line where we want it,” Brady said. “Realistically, the budget isn’t going to sustain us forever. The more we can get done with the dollars we have the better.”
She said they are hoping to continue to make improvements and educate the public that there is a park district in the county.
Brady said they want to work on planning with partners to find where the greatest need is.
“We could spend $8,000 researching that, but that’s not a good expenditure in a tight budget,” Brady said. “Instead, we would like to better utilize our resources.”
She said the director of Hancock County’s park system has agreed to donate time and help serve as a guide throughout the planning process.
“We want to combine what we need with what we have,” Brady said.
She said they are hoping planning phases will lead to development.
One area she said they would like to explore is areas for hunting and ATV use in the county.
“We want to start a dialogue and see what direction we’re going to go, what the community is willing to support,” Brady said.
The next project slated to begin could start in June, with Department of Transportation funds paying for a plot at Bloody Bridge. The project would be a parking lot at the start of a trailhead.
Funds from the Department of Transportation has to be for motorized vehicles.
Brady said it would create an opening in the guardrail wide enough for people to walk across and offer both a recreational and historic park location.
In August, a Clean Ohio Trail Fund grant helped pay for $65,000 in improvements to 2 miles of toe path from Lock 14 to Glynwood Road.
The remaining $30,000 combined with a $7,000 match could be used for picnic tables, benches, signs and other improvements.
Options for additional improvements are extending the trail to Ohio 66 and adding rideable or walkthrough gates that would prevent motorized vehicles which have been a problem there recently, Brady said.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 03 December 2009 )
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