The Green Parks and Recreation Board met on March 4, 2026, to discuss park improvements, community events, the Southgate Farm annual report, a master plan review, proposed charter changes, and a tree planting initiative for the nation's 250th anniversary. The meeting began with approval of the previous month's minutes and updates from staff on various park projects.
Good evening good evening, everyone. I'd like to call to order the March fourth, twenty twenty six parks and recreation board meeting. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Yes. Chrissy Kusnik. Here. Michael Greggs. Here. Jen Foster. Here. Thank you. We have before us a copy of the minutes from February fourth, twenty twenty six. Did you already make the correction on okay? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you. All in favor? I all opposed. Okay. And we'll start with the service parks and recreation. Um sorry, I had to take a phone call and I gotta like count to ten now. Um just go over any of our highlights for open to hit the highlights. Um the inclusive playground at Collective Park, we will uh we've kind of settled on a design but we want to get some parents together in the community that that have children with disabilities and um ha give them the opportunity to take a look at the design and have the uh playground uh supplier representative walk through the playground with them. So if you want to be part of that, let me know. Um just to sit in on um on that meeting and understand all of the inclusive components of that playground. Um staying at Clackner Park, we are working with environmental design group. Um again, those improvements, accessible walkways, shade structures, um, improved dugouts and fencing. We're about 95% um done with that particular concept. We'll move into the construction plans. Um we expect that project to be bid sometime in April. Creek Bomb Park for those that have long wanted a restroom building. It's coming. It's been confirmed that the building will be complete on March 22nd. Um the good news uh also is that Ohio Edison has extended power into the park that was completed today. Um so it's just a matter of uh finalizing utility hookups at the foundation. I use foundation and quotes because it's a stone foundation as opposed to concrete. Um but again, early April, we expect a restroom to be functioning at Creek Balm Park. Um Central Park, um we've talked shade structures. We're gonna delay that project to 27. Um the reason being we're gonna try and get some uh we're writing a grant proposal for state capital funding for that project to help support it. Some of you may remember back in 2016, then Mayor Nujabauer was able to acquire working with Mr. Davidas, correct? I believe 400,000 in support of the construction of that park. Part of that went to the amphitheater, uh other monies went for the walking path. So we're gonna ask for another uh grant to help us um shade the seating bowl. Actually, if I could interject. One of the key things that we brought back with that funding was the pavers. They were gonna go stamp concrete, and I just didn't it just doesn't have the same feel as those pavers. So uh in addition to the other things, um that came back into the project, which I was very pleased about. And the papers are a much nicer touch.