Climbing gear for youths is possible

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by Ken Lahmers

Editor

Aurora -- A number of expenditures for equipment and services were favored by the parks and recreation committee May 1 and forwarded to the finance panel.

The Kiwanis-Moore Play-ground will get two new climbing structures if the finance panel and City Council give final approval to spend $16,715.

Parks-Rec Director Jim Kraus said $20,000 has been budgeted in 2008 for the structures, plus their installation. The structures will be obtained from Service Supply Ltd. of Columbus.

One climbing structure called the Peak rises about 3 1/2 feet high and is for younger children, while one called the Pinnacle is about 7 feet high and is for older children.

Panelists favored a quote of $17,000 from Perrin Asphalt for an 1,100-foot long paved walking path in the Town Center recreation area.

The path would run from a new parking lot being constructed along West Pioneer Trail east of the fire station to the bleachers behind home plate at Ballfield 5.

Kraus said Perrin's quote was cheaper than three others received because Perrin can do the paving at the same time it will pave the new parking lot. A contract for the latter work was OK'd by Council recently.

THE PATH will be 6 feet wide, and Kraus said he hopes the parking lot and path projects will be completed by July 4.

Sagamore Soils provided the lower of two quotes received for eight planter boxes along Route 43 in the Geauga Lake area between East Boulevard and Lake Avenue.

Its quote was $9,982. The finance committee and Council will have to appropriate $10,000 from the general fund to cover the costs.

Ward 1 Councilman Jim Vaca said he would like to see the city set aside a small amount for an "Entering Aurora" sign on Route 43 as motorists head south from Bainbridge Township.

Panelists held off on favoring spending $3,190 from the public space fund for landscape architect Charles Frederick to do a conceptual master plan for the Hartman property on Townline Road.

They wanted Kraus to obtain at least one more quote. Under Frederick's proposal, the work would take 58 hours to complete, and Kraus said the funds are in the 2008 budget.

Panelists favored creating a part-time sports supervisor position and sent the proposal to the finance committee, which will meet May 12. The person hired would receive $10 per hour for 10 to 12 hours a week.

Kraus explained because there is not enough money in the budget this year, the city will hold off until 2009 on installing a restroom at the northern end of Sunny Lake.

KRAUS REPORTED the city may help the schools with renovation of the tennis courts on the access road between Veterans Stadium and Harmon School.

He estimated redoing the surface would cost $200,000. There is no money is the budget for the work this year, but funds will be sought in 2009.

Parks-rec panel Chairman Dennis Kovach said the funds could be deducted from the money the city annually gives to the schools for tax abatements.

He also said he believes moving ahead with a varsity softball field on city land should take precedence over the tennis court project, because "more people would use the field."

Vaca requested that parks-rec staff look at some maintenance issues at Picnic Lake Park, including holes in the ballfield fence, a low spot along the field's third base line and uneven spots on the basketball court.

He also suggested games be painted on the concrete pad at the former pavilion, and he volunteered to do the work.

Kraus reported landscaping is under way around Aurora Library, an emergency phone has been installed near the skatepark, 30 people finished the fitness challenge and an initial meeting of a community recreation center planning committee took place recently.

E-mail:

klahmers@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3155