Executive director to apply again for state funds to pay for half of $1.37 million all-inclusive playground in Wavering Park

QUINCY — The Quincy Park Board voted Wednesday night to authorize Executive Director Rome Frericks to take a second stab at obtaining funds to help pay for an all-inclusive playground, shelter and restroom at Wavering Park.

Frericks will complete paperwork for an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to build the facility east of the Avenue of Lights baseball field. The playground would be like the one built at Lincoln Park. 

Frericks applied for an OSLAD grant in September 2022 but said the application was “two points short.” He told the commissioners a new round of OSLAD funding became available July 3. Park District officials must submit the paperwork by Aug. 30.

The OSLAD grant program is a 50/50 cost sharing program.  The Park District is required to provide 100 percent of the project costs upfront, to be followed by a request for reimbursement of 50 percent of the eligible costs upon completion of the project. Notification of OSLAD grants are expected in the spring of 2024. Frericks said work on the Wavering project would start in the fall of 2024.

The estimated project cost is $1,376,653, with the local cost share of $776,653.   

“If we don’t get the grant, we’re not going to do the project,” Frericks said after Wednesday’s meeting.

In other action, the Park Board:

• Approved a change order on the bid for repairs at the Lorenzo Bull House. Funds were budgeted to repaint the east side porch handrails and replace the front porch handrails and four newel posts that are weathered and need to be replaced. However, the contractor found 12 more rotted spindles on the west corner of the porch. The contract price was increased by $500 to a total of $49,299. 
• Approved spending up to $20,000 for railing repair in Clat Adams Park. The entire north section of the park railing has separated from the steel uprights running along the entire sidewalk. The deterioration is due to the liquid salt from the Memorial Bridge, which drains in this section of the park. The money will come from excess funds from 2023 general obligation bonds.
• Approved spending $19,100 from excess funds from 2023 general obligation bonds for the design and engineering work and the demolition of the Wavering Park large shelter near 39^th Street. A replacement schedule for park shelters was previously agreed upon, and the large shelter at Wavering Park was rated a 5 out of 10 in terms of its current condition. Design and engineering costs are estimated at $11,500, and $7,600 is needed for the demolition of the current shelter. The bidding process could begin in December 2023, and the project could potentially be completed by May 2024. The cost for the construction, estimated at $225,000, is included in the proposed 2024 bond project list.
• Approved for the fees for the 2024 Pepsi Little People’s Tournament to be held June 16-19 at Westview Golf Course to remain the same as 2023 —$30 for the Applebee’s Parent-Child event, and $75 for 18 holes and $51 for nine holes for the two-day tournament and practice round.
• Accepted a comprehensive annual financial report made by Danielle Fleer. Brian Earnest, director of business services, called the audit “clean.” State statute requires the Quincy Park District to conduct an independent audit on the prior fiscal year.
• Learned from Mike Bruns, director of program services, that all summer programs are complete and that the fall soccer and adult softball programs are set to begin in August. He said the fall soccer program will have 770 participants. He also said Indian Mounds Pool is scheduled to close Sunday. Recent rainy weather has led to declining numbers at the pool in the final weeks of summer. Bruns said attendance at the pool for the week of July 30 to Aug. 5 was only 275 people.
• Learned from David Morgan, director of golf, that the number of 18-hole rounds at Westview Golf Course is up 47 percent (2,111 in 2022 to 3,106 in 2023) from the same time last year. The total number of rounds is up 28.5 percent (17,842 in 2022 to 22,927 in 2023) from the same time last year.