Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw Park Board President Steve Haines concluded 20 years of service at the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Board meeting Tuesday.
Superintendent Larry Plummer presented him with an outstanding member plaque and thanked him for his two decades of service on the board, with 10 years as president.
"Your leadership as board president for the past 10 years has been nothing short of exceptional. You've led with integrity, compassion and a clear vision for what's best for our park and the people we serve," Plummer said.
He commended Haines' implementation of employee recognition meals and his boosting morale by buying doughnuts monthly.
"... Your ability to lead with both professionalism and kindness have made you more than just a board member. You've been a true friend and a true advocate for us all," Plummer said.
Mayor Jeff Grose said, "When I first was elected mayor, I said I wanted to see people look at our city and say, 'Boy, I see neighbors helping neighbors while cultivating community.' Steve, you are the poster child for that. ... I greatly thank you for being that example for others, not only on this board, but for our entire community."
Project Updates
Plummer updated the board on the parks department's ongoing projects.
The department has decided to put in an additional retaining wall at hole two of the Lucerne Park disc golf course after the first wall installation was successful at preventing a washout.
"After the first one was installed, we had heavy, torrential rains that day, it just looks beautiful when it was done, it didn't wash out or anythting," Plummer said.
Work has been ongoing on the restroom building and surrounding sidewalks at Pike Lake Park. Gutters will be installed on the restroom building next week.
The park entrance way has been redone, going from two entrances to one. The stairs to the old fountain area and parking lot have been eliminated in favor of ADA-compliant accessibility.
At Central Park, Phend & Brown finished tearing out and rebuilding the western sidewalk Sept. 11. Plummer said that area had often been underwater after big rain events due to gradual weardown and the changes would make "a big impact."
All asphalt at Central Park has now been repaved and re-striped, except for the lot next to the Center Lake beach.
Groundwork has been laid at Hire Park for a new restroom building. Butt and Timmons is ready to start digging footers, though an engineering go-ahead is still needed before work can begin.
In accordance with parks department's 10-year plan, Plummer said, it traded in a 2015 truck for a 2025 work truck for the fleet.
Lastly, he reported the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion has been seeing a lot of rental activity. This year, there have been nine Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce rentals, 87 corporate rentals, 27 wedding rentals, 29 celebration rentals, four school rentals and 15 Zimmer Biomet rentals.
"I've had a lot of people come and say they're thankful we have a building like this in the community they can use," he said.
Rental And
Maintenance Reports
Maintenance Director Shaun Gardner reported the all-inclusive merry-go-round in Central Park's Kiddieland has been very popular since it opened.
He commended his employees for being willing to work overtime to clean up the pavilion after events, sometimes working until 4 a.m. to get the space turned over for the next day "They see the big picture," he said, "so shout out to my guys."
The parks department replaced an engine and had some body work done on its bucket truck, using labor from the street department's mechanics to save money, for about $4,500. It also had body work done on its electrician van.
"Everything in our fleet is pretty clean and sharp looking right now," he remarked.
Gardner reported the department also saved money by having employees tear out the sidewalks at Pike Lake, haul in dirt and stone for Lucerne Park's golf holes and seed and straw grass after retainer wall installation.
The board also heard from Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer about upcoming parks events, included the Fall Family Fun festival in Lucerne Park Friday, Oct. 3. She said there were "close to 3,000" attendees last time and she expects a similarly large turnout this year.
Travis Thomas was named as the Member of the Month.
The next park board meeting will be at 5:15 p.m. Oct. 21 in Warsaw City Hall.
