District approves proposal for park maintenance

Park district commissioners last month approved a proposal for vendors to address in bidding on the maintenance work for North Dam Park for the year.

The Coulee Area Park and Recreation District maintains and manages the park on about eight acres of land that belongs to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation below North Dam.

Commissioners Dec. 14 approved as to form a document that lays out the scope of work they expect will be done for up to $25,000 in 2023, including everything from mowing the lawns to maintaining sprinklers to fertilizing the ball fields.

The district is advertising for vendors now and expects to award a contract in February. The contract would extend from mid-April through October.

CAPRD, the park district, inherited the park by default after the city of Grand Coulee decided it no longer had the budget to maintain it and dropped plans to maintain it. CAPRD worked with the USBR, which had grant programs available to help fund maintenance if a local organization would take the management oversight. That arrangement held for several years, with the USBR funding about half the park maintenance. CAPRD must raise the rest. Although it was formed as a junior taxing district under state law, voters have never approved a levy.

Local cities that get lodging taxes from tourists can contribute some of that, but it's not guaranteed. Because the park is also an event center, holding major events such as parts of the annual Colorama festival in May, lodging tax funds can be used.

A USBR representative at the December meeting used referred to a figure of $16,500 for the remainder of 2023. When time ran out during the COVID-19 emergency for re-applying for the federal grant, community contributions last summer and fall bridged the gap.

CAPRD is asking vendors to respond by Jan. 31.