(PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
UPDATE … Williams County Engineer Todd Roth gives an update on several parks in the county along with Rod Miller and Bob Tressler of the Williams County Park District.
By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
On Thursday, October 24th, the Williams County Commissioners met with Williams County Engineer Todd Roth, along with Bob Tressler and Rod Miller from the Williams County Park District. They provided an update on several county parks and proposed plans for the future.
Roth informed the commissioners about the efforts the district has made at Goldie Newman Park.
He mentioned that the park is considered an excellent location for a future dog park, which was a suggestion brought up during the meeting.
The project is estimated to cost between $50,000 and $60,000, which includes a six-foot high fence and a concrete pad at the entrance.
The park has been dealing with a problem of invasive plant species, and workers have been actively clearing them out.
Roth mentioned that there have been requests for a dog park, and they would like to begin exploring funding options. The Park District aims to connect with citizens and organizations in Williams County to raise the necessary funds for the park.
The Wabash Cannonball Trail was discussed about future plans. The Village of Montpelier is seeking funding grants for design work; however, Roth emphasized the importance of collaboration between the village and the park district to ensure everyone is aligned.
While they have already talked about the trail, he believes there should be a cohesive overall plan, as the trail will likely connect to other areas in the county. He also noted that it’s challenging to secure funding when plans are not clearly defined.
There was talk about the trail being built out near West Unity since there is a parking facility near County Road 17.
The kind of surface was also discussed, as people in rural areas will use the trail for walking and biking while others in the country might use it for horseback riding.
“I think maybe from County Road 17 to the school should be very fine gravel, paved from the school to County Road 21 with fine gravel on the sides, and from County Road 21 going East with very fine gravel,” said Commissioner Hilkert.
Hilkert also mentioned Montpelier will seek funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program for part of the trail.
Tressler has contacted a representative from North Country Scenic Trails, which has 4,800 miles of federally designated trails, and discussed additional funding options with Toledo Metro Parks for design variations.
The commissioners pledged $8,000 for an aeration project at George Bible Park, which has a total estimated cost of $28,000.
The county recently secured a $20,000 grant for this project. Roth stated that they would try to stay as close to the $20,000 as they could so that they do not need to use the $8,000.
Commissioner Terry Rummel highlighted that, although the commissioners are committing to certain funds, volunteer labor from the park district on previous projects has often reduced the county’s financial obligations.
As a result, the county has frequently ended up not needing to pay the full amount they initially committed to.
In other news, the commissioners approved the following transfers:
-Williams County Department of Aging: $941.04 and $158.96 from Worker’s Compensation to Contract Services to cover consultation costs.
-Williams County IT: $948.00 from Unappropriated to Medicare for transfer from closed PO to Medicare for 2024 balance.
-Williams County Maintenance: $571.41 from BWC to Medicare for billing cycle change. $5.00 from Non-Capital to Radios, Pagers, Cellular Phones for slight price increase.
With nothing further to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 10:35 a.m.
