Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE -ÊWith changes in mind for the Syracuse Park Department, Syracuse Park Superintentent Mike Hixenbaugh presented the park board with his preliminary estimated budget for 2001 at a special board meeting Monday.
The park board will discuss the budget at their regular 7 p.m. June 12 meeting.
In 2000, the department's budget was $145,882. In 2001, Hixenbaugh's proposed budget would be approximately $208,750, an increase of $62,868 or 43.1 percent.
One reason for the growth in budget is because of the community center. With a new center, Hixenbaugh would like to have a recreation supervisor for $17,000 per year and a part-time center supervisor for $12,500 per year. A part-time maintenance person would be hired for $12,500 per year to help alleviate some of the current maintenance person's workload. By hiring another maintenance person, there would be a reduction in the current maintenance person's overtime, eliminating almost $2,000.
In addition, Hixenbaugh would like the department to buy its own mower tractor for approximately $22,000 so the park mowing can be done in-house instead of being contracted. By having the mowing done in-house, he said, $9,600 for contract mowing could be eliminated from the budget.
Several of the park board members were concerned about who would do the mowing if it was done in-house and if it was an actual savings. Also, if the mower broke down, and they had only one, the mower would need to be repaired and the park department would be out a mower until it was fixed.
Bill Wight, park board president, instructed Hixenbaugh to look at the two scenarios and put together an evaluation for the board to compare.
Hixenbaugh's tentative budget also would increase by $2,000 for maintenance supplies; $1,000 for program supplies; $4,250 for printing and advertising; $2,250 for tree planting and landscaping; and $1,800 for program services.
Areas where the budget would be reduced would include a reduction of $2,000 for professional services; $875 for beach maintenance; and $7,000 for park improvements.
In other business, Hixenbaugh presented the board with two different initial quotes for playground equipment for Ward Park.
For a "Noah's Ark" play set, a "London Bridges" play set and 150 cubic yards of surfacing material and filter fabric, there would be a total equipment cost of $14,233. Installation of the equipment, swingset and sand digger would increase the cost by $4,167, for a total of $18,400.
The second option would replace the "London Bridges" play set with a "Sandia" play set and the grand total would be $20,723.
After reviewing the options and a book of other available playground equipment, the park board asked Hixenbaugh to get a quote on a play set called "Twin Towers" and present it along with option two at the Monday meeting.
Hixenbaugh said a public hearing for the Community Focus Funds grant for the community center will be held at the next town council meeting, June 20 at 7 p.m. He said that because of the reduction in size of the community center, the grant will probably be less than $500,000.
Park board members are: president Bill Wight, Lynn Allegret, Virginia Lambright and Nancy Duehmig. Donna Workman serves as an adviser and is a non-voting member.
