Iowa County plans Gateway Park improvements

MARENGO — Iowa County Supervisors approved a $247,000 project at Gateway Park and Preserve in Marengo as long as the money comes out of the County Conservation budget.

The $247,000 estimate is the most the project might cost, said Iowa County Conservation Director Jacob Slings. Initial plans called for a concrete sidewalk ($32,000), patio and parking lot ($97,000), but Slings said he could use crushed rock instead and cut the cost by $70,000 or $80,000.

The park doesn’t need concrete if everything else at the park is crushed rock, Slings said.

As long as County Conservation is improving the amenities currently at the park, downgrading to crushed rock shouldn’t hurt the chances of getting a grant, said Slings.

Slings is applying for a state grant that will reimburse 75% of the cost of the project, but he’ll have to pay the costs up front.

Slings said $110,000 will come from donations to Iowa County Conservation. When the grant reimburses 75% of the cost, $110,000 will be returned to that fund, said Slings.

About $90,000 will come from the park improvement budget, said Slings. Gateway Improvement Group will give $35,000 to the project and Friends of iowa County has pledged $10,000.

A gala is planned for Oct. 11 and will contribute additional money to the project, Slings said.

If the project costs less, the state’s reimbursement will be monetarily less, Supervisor Kevin Heitshusen reminded Slings. But it would also decrease the amount County Conservation will have to pay out of its own budget, said Slings.

The 25% the county will pay will come from the park improvements funds in the County Conservation budget, said Slings.

The proposed work is phase I of a larger project to improve Gateway, said Slings, but Phase II will probably be a la carte and will be paid for with donations. Proposed in phase 2 are additional shelter houses, trails, a sand launch for kayaks and canoes and concrete slabs for kiosks.

“We’re not funding this,” said Heitshusen. Any cost overrun will not be paid for by the county because it doesn’t have any extra money.

As long as the money comes out of the County Conservation budget, Heitshusen is OK with the improvements, he said. The Conservation Board has the authority to approve the project as long as the board is spending money in the Iowa County Conservation budget, he said.

“Sounds like a good project to me,” said Supervisor Jon Degen.

Slings hopes to get the project done this fiscal year. He’d like to see work start in the spring, but the water level needs to go down, he said.

Supervisors voted 4-1 to sign a letter of support for County Conservation in its grant application. Supervisors Degen, Heitshusen, Seth Meyer and Chris Montross voted in favor.

Supervisor Abby Maas voted no. Maas said in a previous meeting that the project is an extravagant misuse of taxpayer funds.