VW parks director seeks budget support

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert Parks Director Sue Heppeard had a “wish list” when she spoke to members of Van Wert City Council’s Parks and Recreation Department, but her biggest wish was for no more cuts to her already strained budget.

Heppeard brought a list of items she wanted City Council to consider, as well as some concerns on specific projects that had been brought either to her or to Council members.

Two of her concerns were a ballfield being proposed for Jubilee Park and a proposal to renovate and add to the tennis courts at Smiley Park.

Heppeard said she would prefer that any new ballfields be located at the Rotary Soccer Field off John Brown Road, but added that Council did not seem all that enthused about that location. Concerns about having a ballfield built on the site of the old tennis courts at Jubilee Park included parking, concessions and maintenance of the field after it is completed, since her depleted department has only two employees, including her.

She had fewer concerns about the tennis court project, which is being looked at as an alternative plan to building six new tennis courts at the site of the high school-middle school complex. Wayne Kilton represented the Van Wert County Tennis Association at the Council meeting to discuss renovating the three current courts at Smiley Park and adding two more courts north of the current ones.

An advantage to this plan, versus the one for the city school site, is the cost is considerably less. However, Heppeard said building two tennis courts north of the current Smiley Park courts would involve moving some playground equipment and take up a significant amount of open space in the park.

However, the parks director said she had fewer problems with that project if manpower needs and expenses involved in that project were met. One positive is that the tennis association is looking at providing maintenance for the tennis facility in the future.

She did bring a proposal of her own to Council that would include construction of nine soccer fields, including five youth soccer fields, and three SAY fields, as well as a walk/bike path, parking lots, two Little League style ballfields and six pods (themed play areas along the bike/walk path), as well as a combination concession stand and restrooms.

She had even brought a drawing of the proposed development with her (see drawing at right).

In addition, Heppeard said she would also like to look at building a disc golf course at Smiley Park — an idea someone brought to her attention last year. However, there would have to be some research done on how money would be raised to construct the course and who would construct the facility, as well as maintenance of the baskets included in the course.

The parks director also included a list of parks department needs that include a functional maintenance-storage facility, a recreation coordinator, funds for capital improvements, pond and tile issues at Smiley Park, parking, an irrigation system for city ballfields and lighting at Fountain Park.

Although Heppeard said she realizes the recession has left the city with relatively little money to spend on parks improvements, she did note that she feels Mayor Louis Ehmer’s administration does appreciate what the parks do for the city.

“I believe that this past year the city administration realized the importance the parks and recreation is to the citizens of Van Wert,” she said, “which was evident since the administration did not eradicate this department completely.”

She added, though, that her department has experienced nothing but cuts over the past two decades, while new programs and facilities have been added, creating more work for her already overburdened maintenance worker to do.

“We need to answer one important question,” Heppeard said. “Where is the financial stability for the parks and recreation department so we can continue to preserve existing facilities?

The parks director told Council members that, if they could not answer that question, it would be difficult to add new facilities with the depleted manpower and budget.