Park district prepares for bigger budget

Park district commissioners Monday accepted a 10-year management agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and prepared to pass a supplemental budget that would allow the district to spend more than $100,000 this year, almost all of it from grants.

“That’s amazing for an organization that has … no source of income,” commented Chairman Phil Hansen.

The Coulee Area Park and Recreation District has never collected taxes, but has relied on agreements with local municipalities for funding the upkeep of North Dam Park and Events Center.

The district received word two weeks ago that it would benefit from a $50,000 Title 28 grant through the Bureau of Reclamation, much of which will be used to repair or upgrade facilities with an eye toward complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The federal grant requires the park district to match the federal contribution.

More than $30,000 has been pledged from Electric City, Coulee Dam and Grand Coulee for this year.

District commissioners will hold a public hearing on the supplemental budget of $108,800 on June 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School staff room.

Commissioners also voted to accept a memorandum of understanding with the SHARP Kids after-school program, which plans to embrace the cause of maintaining the Gerkhe Windmills at North Dam Park as a service learning project.

Hansen said he wants to establish usage fees for the park at the next meeting, July 9. Current fees are copied from old city of Grand Coulee schedules, but are mostly reimbursable to users.