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NEWS
Committee backs plan for park
A proposal that relinquishes the city of HuntingtonÕs control of Harris Riverfront Park to the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District won approval from a key City Council committee Friday.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- A proposal that relinquishes the city of Huntington's control of Harris Riverfront Park to the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District won approval from a key City Council committee Friday.
The Finance Committee unanimously forwarded the proposal to the full council with a positive recommendation. The council now is expected to vote on the proposal at its April 27 meeting.
Under the terms of the proposed agreement, the city would give the park district $201,400 next fiscal year for maintaining the riverfront. That payment includes $25,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds so the park district could purchase new picnic tables, trash receptacles and drinking-water fountains.
The park district, meanwhile, would contribute $41,212, bringing the riverfront's total operating budget next year to $242,612.
The city now spends about $100,000 annually at the park. But that does not include an additional $82,000 that the city has spent this year on paying employees from other departments to help clean up after flooding at the park, Finance Director Deron Runyon said.
If the park district took control of the riverfront, that money, which is the equivalent of about 4,000 work hours, could be diverted to other city services, Runyon said.
Jim McClelland, executive director of the park district, said his agency is the appropriate agency to oversee the riverfront because maintaining parks and recreation services is its only mission.
"You want to see improvements with this agreement," he said. "You don't want the same thing. So we're going to put a lot of time and energy into it."
McClelland said more workers will be watching over the park than the city has committed. These also are employees who have expertise in managing park systems, he said.
As for maintenance, the park district will quickly repair benches, trash receptacles and water fountains if they are broken or vandalized, clean bathrooms daily and immediately pick up trash and wash mud off of walkways after flooding, McClelland said.
Later this fall, the park district will plow and reseed the main field at the riverfront and reseed it again in spring 2010, McClelland said. He also wants to develop a plan to build a new playground.
"I really believe if you give us a chance to do the job and a reasonable amount of time to do it, you will see an increase in maintenance and overall performance," McClelland told committee members.
