Electric City will negotiate on land for park

One Electric City council member’s dream of a city park could soon be a reality.

Lonna Bussert, who has shown interest in park matters ever since she has been on the city council, has finally started the ball rolling on getting one.

Mayor Jerry Sands has advised the Baptist Church board that the city is interested in purchasing part of the Baptist Church’s school play area.

The area being looked at is 80 feet by 180 feet, and is all of the playground’s lower tier and part of the upper tier.

Bussert sees acquiring the property as a start. She told the council at its last session that in order to get certain grants, the city has to have a park.

She and Councilmember Brad Parrish, who constitute the council’s park committee, have been authorized to negotiate the purchase of the property. Bussert had already visited with Baptist officials about the park idea and the two will make an offer on behalf of the city soon.

Bussert had discussed developing a city park earlier with Birdie Hensley, who was on the council at the time. Nothing came of it then, because the property they were looking at was not a good fit.

The Baptist Church School property (the school hasn’t operated for years) is centrally located and is close enough to the state highway that it could draw people who are here for recreational purposes or just driving through.

Bussert sees a sprinkling of playground equipment, some shade trees and picnic tables, and a grassy area for kids to play.

That’s where grants come in. The city has limited funds that can be used for parks.

Bussert got the council to take another bite towards a park when she convinced the council that 75 percent of the $5,000 lease fund that comes to the city from Coulee Playland, should be put in a park fund, with the other 25 percent going into a capital fund.

In past years, the lease payment has gone into the general fund even though it had been earmarked for parks. No parks, no need to fund them.

The first step in acquiring the proposed Baptist site is a survey to accurately identify the space.

Bussert told the council that she thought it would take about $10,000 to acquire the land, and she would like to see the survey cost of $2,500 be part of that price.

With the receipt of Mayor Sands’ letter of interest, the ball now is in the hands of Bussert and Parrish, and Baptist Church board officials.

Bussert said Baptist Church officials stated that they didn’t want the property to be used for someone to build a house on.

The church has worked with the city before, selling Electric City the property that the fire station is located on. Now they have an opportunity to do so again, if the price is right.