DNR grant to help fund purchase
By Scott Bellile
A 12-by-12-foot shelter will likely be built at St. John’s Park, allowing visitors to get out of the rain or take a break from the sun.
The New London Capital Equipment and Projects Committee on June 5 unanimously voted in favor of spending $6,000 from the city’s capital projects budget to have the shelter installed.
The project was not part of the city’s 2019 budget, so the committee had to hold a special meeting to approve the expenditure and recommend it to the New London City Council. The council unanimously approved the item on June 11.
“My plan is to purchase it this year,” New London Public Services Director Chad Hoerth told the capital equipment and projects committee. “If we get it up this year, great. If not, then we’ll get it up early next year.”
The project will total around $12,000, but the city will only pay half that.
The remainder will be picked up by a matching Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Stewardship Grant. The DNR awarded the city the 50/50 grant for the 2017 purchase of a fishing pier and boat dock, which was installed next to St. John’s Park.
The city has a $69,396 balance remaining on that 50/50 grant.
Earlier this year, the New London Parks and Recreation Committee discussed whether to spend more of the money on improvement at St. John’s Park or return it to the state.
The problems with spending the grant were St. John’s Park is only 0.4 acres in size with little room for additions, and any purchases would have to support “nature-based outdoor recreation.” The grant could not be used at other city parks.
At an April 1 meeting, the parks and recreation committee decided the shelter would be the best option and recommended using the city’s unassigned fund balance to cover the city’s share.
Third District Alderman Mike Barrington said at that meeting he favored the covered shelter because it would offer shade for people who are fishing on the new dock or riding their bikes.
Other grant expenditures that were considered for St. John’s Park included a restroom and security cameras, Hoerth told the Press Star.
However, the ground would have had to be raised 2 feet to accommodate the restroom for floodplain reasons, plus a wheelchair-accessible ramp would have to have been built but would not have fit on the property, Hoerth said.
The DNR grant would not have covered the security cameras, Hoerth said.