Collaborations Played A Big Part Of Park Department’s 2021
February 16, 2022 at 1:39 a.m.
By David [email protected]
He told the Parks and Recreation Board, “Another year in the books. Another challenging year with COVID. It still had its impact on our day-to-day operations, events and programs, but I’d like to share some of the things we did get accomplished.”
The shoreline stabilization projects, in collaboration with the stormwater department, at Pike Lake are complete. It extended from the bathroom building to the end of Beyer Park. In 2022, he said they’re looking at doing the same at Center Lake from the boat ramp to Nye Park. “It’s really nice to have our shorelines protected. It’s taken 30, 40 years for us to get to this point,” Plummer said.
Plummer pointed out the department’s monetary collaboration with the three lake associations ($2,500 to each) to preserve, conserve and maintain the lakes; as well as the collaboration with NIPSCO to have the powerlines removed from Kiddieland. NIPSCO replaced its powerlines down Ind. 15, and as part of their project some trees were removed in Bixler and Central parks, but NIPSCO replaced them with new smaller trees.
A collaboration with Goshen Health provided a bench for Kelly Park, while the Kosciusko County Convention and Recreation Visitors Commission provided kayak kiosks at Center and Pike Lake beaches for rental. The kiosks are expected to launch in April. With the K21 Health Foundation, additional pickleball courts and an updated tennis courts will be completed this year at Bixler Park. Plummer said the courts, to be named The K21 Courts, hopefully will start in the spring.
Thanks to the Castaldi family, there’s an interactive fountain at the Buffalo Street Plaza at Nye Park. Plummer said it’s been a “hit.”
Moving on to projects in 2021, Plummer listed the east and west shelter parking lots at Central Park were improved; the five-year master plan was completed; and Ker Park was completed with age-appropriate playgrounds for kids 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. The HVAC units were replaced at the Center Lake Pavilion, park name signs were installed at each park and park crews installed new sheeting and roofing to the Center Lake Pavilion bottom section, along with other improvements to the building. Nineteen-year-old awning at the Pavilion was replaced with a new one that clearly shows the address of 119 E. Canal St.
Plummer said all playgrounds and swings were replenished with engineered wood fiber, which is a yearly process. Park crews completed sewer and drainage upgrades at the Pike Lake Campground. Replacement banners for Central Park were purchased, replacing the originals from 2016.
At the pickleball and tennis courts at Kelly Park, wind screen was installed; while at Lucerne Park, employees poured concrete tee boxes for the nine holes of disc golf. The disc golf course is played year-round.
As part of the Buffalo Street project, a new gazebo was installed at Nye Park. Plummer said it’s very scenic there and lots of people enjoy eating their lunches there.
“Of course, we’re excited about the City Council deciding to allow the construction of our new park office and maintenance facility,” Plummer said. “We’d like to see that done this year, but due to the steel process, obtaining the steel for the building, it looks like a 2023 completion.”
The Young Tigers donated $1,452 from the concession trailer during the Christmas light display for the 2022 display.
New equipment the Parks Department acquired included a Chevrolet 2500 truck with plow for Maintenance Director Shaun Gardner, a Grasshopper mower, a track Bobcat, a new office printer, new iPads for department vehicles and the shop, two handheld blowers, two weed eaters and two push mowers.
“Other things to note: Parks employees are caring for 80 planting beds downtown. We water and fertilize those daily on a regular basis,” Plummer said. “We also set up and tear down the alley at City Hall here.”
Park employees empty all the permanent trash cans downtown. Plummer said they collected over 76 tons of garbage in the parks this past year.
“People don’t realize that. We have the small truck that we have, we get six, seven loads a day out of there in the summertime, so whether it’s on the ground or in barrels, we pick it up. That’s a lot of trash,” he said, adding that they collected 132 doggy bags on the Beyer and Zimmer West trails.
The Parks Department is currently assisting at least 28 city residents through its driveway assistance program for people that have a medical condition and can’t shovel the end of their driveway. They have to fill out a form for the assistance.
“As the pandemic continues to affect our society, our parks become more valuable. Our parks are serving an incredible role for many,” he said.
Looking at the year-end financial report, on the overall income, Plummer said seasonal rentals were at $17,765.70; year-round rentals was at $13,141.78; campground rentals were at $60,986.48; and add-on services totaled $2,916.83.
In 2021, the net income for the campground was $60,986.48. Revenue for picnic and sawhorse tables for 2021 was $5,315.70, up from $80 in 2020. The COVID pandemic shut most things down in 2020. Total revenue in 2021 for the amphitheater, digital marquee, plaza and shelters was $9,680.83, up from $5,813.45 in 2020.
The net income for the Center Lake Pavilion was $1,285.21.
“There again, we still had some COVID issues in 2021,” Plummer said, noting the Pavilion housed the vaccination clinics “and things of that sort.”
Later in his report, based on the times and days, those rentals of the Pavilion would have been valued at a total of $11,950.
“It’s nice that we have that facility to offer that to our community and allow that to happen,” Plummer said, noting that there’s been a good crowd down there every time they’ve allowed it to happen. “But, in the meantime, it does take away revenue, chances for us to make revenue, but I felt that was something we needed to do and I was happy to let it happen.”
Board member Michelle Boxell said it was great for the vaccine clinic to be at the Pavilion as it was convenient for her and co-workers who had to get vaccinated due to a federal mandate. She said the National Guard there “made it so easy.”
Net income for Lucerne cabins was $2,900; while the net income for the Firemen’s Building was $7,705.65 and for the Nye Youth Cabin was $4,030.92.
The lease payment for the Kosciusko County Council on Aging and Aged was raised to $1,200 per month at the Pete Thorn Youth Center in 2021. Wayne Township provided a $26,000 contribution to the Warsaw Parks Department for residents of the township to use the parks. The net income for the Pete Thorn Youth Center, including those figures, was $1,744.01. The largest expenses in 2021 was office cleaning ($19,460) and NIPSCO ($14,685.68).
Sales tax revenue, including the campground, was $4,913.20 in 2021, up from $2,382.90 in 2020. Miscellaneous income was $65,540.90 in 2021, up from $54,746.97 in 2020.
He told the Parks and Recreation Board, “Another year in the books. Another challenging year with COVID. It still had its impact on our day-to-day operations, events and programs, but I’d like to share some of the things we did get accomplished.”
The shoreline stabilization projects, in collaboration with the stormwater department, at Pike Lake are complete. It extended from the bathroom building to the end of Beyer Park. In 2022, he said they’re looking at doing the same at Center Lake from the boat ramp to Nye Park. “It’s really nice to have our shorelines protected. It’s taken 30, 40 years for us to get to this point,” Plummer said.
Plummer pointed out the department’s monetary collaboration with the three lake associations ($2,500 to each) to preserve, conserve and maintain the lakes; as well as the collaboration with NIPSCO to have the powerlines removed from Kiddieland. NIPSCO replaced its powerlines down Ind. 15, and as part of their project some trees were removed in Bixler and Central parks, but NIPSCO replaced them with new smaller trees.
A collaboration with Goshen Health provided a bench for Kelly Park, while the Kosciusko County Convention and Recreation Visitors Commission provided kayak kiosks at Center and Pike Lake beaches for rental. The kiosks are expected to launch in April. With the K21 Health Foundation, additional pickleball courts and an updated tennis courts will be completed this year at Bixler Park. Plummer said the courts, to be named The K21 Courts, hopefully will start in the spring.
Thanks to the Castaldi family, there’s an interactive fountain at the Buffalo Street Plaza at Nye Park. Plummer said it’s been a “hit.”
Moving on to projects in 2021, Plummer listed the east and west shelter parking lots at Central Park were improved; the five-year master plan was completed; and Ker Park was completed with age-appropriate playgrounds for kids 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. The HVAC units were replaced at the Center Lake Pavilion, park name signs were installed at each park and park crews installed new sheeting and roofing to the Center Lake Pavilion bottom section, along with other improvements to the building. Nineteen-year-old awning at the Pavilion was replaced with a new one that clearly shows the address of 119 E. Canal St.
Plummer said all playgrounds and swings were replenished with engineered wood fiber, which is a yearly process. Park crews completed sewer and drainage upgrades at the Pike Lake Campground. Replacement banners for Central Park were purchased, replacing the originals from 2016.
At the pickleball and tennis courts at Kelly Park, wind screen was installed; while at Lucerne Park, employees poured concrete tee boxes for the nine holes of disc golf. The disc golf course is played year-round.
As part of the Buffalo Street project, a new gazebo was installed at Nye Park. Plummer said it’s very scenic there and lots of people enjoy eating their lunches there.
“Of course, we’re excited about the City Council deciding to allow the construction of our new park office and maintenance facility,” Plummer said. “We’d like to see that done this year, but due to the steel process, obtaining the steel for the building, it looks like a 2023 completion.”
The Young Tigers donated $1,452 from the concession trailer during the Christmas light display for the 2022 display.
New equipment the Parks Department acquired included a Chevrolet 2500 truck with plow for Maintenance Director Shaun Gardner, a Grasshopper mower, a track Bobcat, a new office printer, new iPads for department vehicles and the shop, two handheld blowers, two weed eaters and two push mowers.
“Other things to note: Parks employees are caring for 80 planting beds downtown. We water and fertilize those daily on a regular basis,” Plummer said. “We also set up and tear down the alley at City Hall here.”
Park employees empty all the permanent trash cans downtown. Plummer said they collected over 76 tons of garbage in the parks this past year.
“People don’t realize that. We have the small truck that we have, we get six, seven loads a day out of there in the summertime, so whether it’s on the ground or in barrels, we pick it up. That’s a lot of trash,” he said, adding that they collected 132 doggy bags on the Beyer and Zimmer West trails.
The Parks Department is currently assisting at least 28 city residents through its driveway assistance program for people that have a medical condition and can’t shovel the end of their driveway. They have to fill out a form for the assistance.
“As the pandemic continues to affect our society, our parks become more valuable. Our parks are serving an incredible role for many,” he said.
Looking at the year-end financial report, on the overall income, Plummer said seasonal rentals were at $17,765.70; year-round rentals was at $13,141.78; campground rentals were at $60,986.48; and add-on services totaled $2,916.83.
In 2021, the net income for the campground was $60,986.48. Revenue for picnic and sawhorse tables for 2021 was $5,315.70, up from $80 in 2020. The COVID pandemic shut most things down in 2020. Total revenue in 2021 for the amphitheater, digital marquee, plaza and shelters was $9,680.83, up from $5,813.45 in 2020.
The net income for the Center Lake Pavilion was $1,285.21.
“There again, we still had some COVID issues in 2021,” Plummer said, noting the Pavilion housed the vaccination clinics “and things of that sort.”
Later in his report, based on the times and days, those rentals of the Pavilion would have been valued at a total of $11,950.
“It’s nice that we have that facility to offer that to our community and allow that to happen,” Plummer said, noting that there’s been a good crowd down there every time they’ve allowed it to happen. “But, in the meantime, it does take away revenue, chances for us to make revenue, but I felt that was something we needed to do and I was happy to let it happen.”
Board member Michelle Boxell said it was great for the vaccine clinic to be at the Pavilion as it was convenient for her and co-workers who had to get vaccinated due to a federal mandate. She said the National Guard there “made it so easy.”
Net income for Lucerne cabins was $2,900; while the net income for the Firemen’s Building was $7,705.65 and for the Nye Youth Cabin was $4,030.92.
The lease payment for the Kosciusko County Council on Aging and Aged was raised to $1,200 per month at the Pete Thorn Youth Center in 2021. Wayne Township provided a $26,000 contribution to the Warsaw Parks Department for residents of the township to use the parks. The net income for the Pete Thorn Youth Center, including those figures, was $1,744.01. The largest expenses in 2021 was office cleaning ($19,460) and NIPSCO ($14,685.68).
Sales tax revenue, including the campground, was $4,913.20 in 2021, up from $2,382.90 in 2020. Miscellaneous income was $65,540.90 in 2021, up from $54,746.97 in 2020.
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