Fresh coat of paint at Pemberville park

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PEMBERVILLE — The Wood County Park District Board of Park Commissioners got to see for themselves how painting is needed at William Henry Harrison Park.

The project was one of six resolutions passed in an end-of-year rush of projects to be finished before winter. The board met last week at the Pemberville park.

In addition to passage of the resolution approving the shelter painting and sealing at William Henry Harrison Park, other resolutions passed were: the Starlight Road property transfer, a post-accident policy update, a pond aerator system for Reuthinger Park, a drainage project for the Slippery Elm Trail, the purchase of materials for rebuilding the boardwalk at W. W. Knight Park.

The three shelter houses at William Henry Harrison Park will be getting a fresh coat of paint from Toby Ernsthausen Painting and Drywall. The interiors have received paint jobs, but it was estimated that it has been at least 24 years since the exteriors have been done.

“We just don’t have the staff, in house, to do that right now,” Chris Smalley, park director, said. “(Ernsthausen) just did Otsego Park and, in my opinion, it looks noticeably better.”

The resolution was approved for $11,850.

Reuthinger Pond will be receiving a pond aerator system for $8,769, to be purchased from Aqua Doc.

Smalley reminded the board that proper aeration is part of the water management requirement of Perrysburg Township, as per the Ohio Revised Code.

“Every pond in Perrysburg Township requires aeration, to make sure ponds are healthy,” Smalley said. “We’re just basically looking for a unit that will accommodate the size and scope of the pond. It’s the one Kokosing has been working on. It’s the borrow pit.”

The excavation of a borrowed dirt pit, which will become a new pond, was part of a much larger $71 million Kokosing Interstate 75 construction project that included 250,000 cubic yards of excavation. Some of the fill material came from what will be the new Reuthinger Pond.

Commissioner William Cameron asked if this aerator will allow for growth.

Smalley confirmed that it will.

“It’s not filled by a well, or anything. So it’s rain water. It takes time. Every rain event the pond gets a little bit larger, and eventually it will fill,” Smalley said. “It’s new. The dirt had to come from somewhere, and in this case, it came from us, and in return, we ended up with a pond.”

Eric Palmer Trucking and Excavating will be repairing a section of the Slippery Elm Trail with a drainage project, near the Cricket Frog Cove area. It has experience ponding and is one of the few sections that is not part of the former railroad line. The work was approved for $5,400.

The purchase of materials for rebuilding the boardwalk at W. W. Knight Nature Preserve was approved for $18,351.

The Starlight Road property transfer was approved by the board. Perrysburg Township has been maintaining the parcel as a park for many years. Smalley said that the township was unaware that it did not already own the single acre plot of land.

The transfer will take place by quit-claim deed.

The park district post-accident policy manual was updated to better reflect the current policy. The manual has been undergoing review and rewrites and this is expected to be the last section to be changed.

Also discussed was a possible new vehicle replacement program with Enterprise Fleet Management.

In his previous job with Lucas County parks, Smalley had worked with account executive Carl Cultrona on a revision of their vehicle management.

“I’m just looking at some other options,” Smalley said.

The current fleet has 11 vehicles that are over 10 years of age, with a total of 25 vehicles in regular use for service or the park police.

Cultrona has a plan to possibly save more than $10,000 annually with a 10-year replacement program.

The park district currently purchases a vehicle, or two, per year, with cash. Cultrona would have that changed to equity leasing, which would include replacing the vehicles off at an average of every four years.

Cameron suggested that each of the commissioners each put together an email with their concerns and questions.

Calling himself a lame duck commissioner, Commissioner Dennis Parish, who is finishing up a term, asked that any vote on the topic be done in January.

Commissioner Tom Myers suggested that, if the vote came up, Parish could abstain.

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