Parks Commission’s Sept. 21 meeting was quick with multiple proposals being accepted for work at various parks, and the trade of hog traps with the USDA accepted.
Scott Miskiel, who had been serving as Interim-Director, was offered the position full-time at $65,000 a year with unanimous consent by the commission.
Miskiel launched into the various proposals for work. The first was from Action Asphalt, Sealcoating and Striping of Fayetteville for repairs to the road at Lake Leatherwood City Park at a bid of $31,825.18. Miskiel explained that there was work to be done to make sure the scope included total square footage needed to cover the worst potholes. Commissioner Ruth Hager made the motion that Miskiel be authorized to accept the contract, commissioner Scott Bardin seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
The second proposal was from Stacy’s Stoneworks regarding repairs to Magnetic Spring. Those repairs had been covered extensively in past meetings and the contract passed unanimously.
The final item was the trade of hog traps with United States Department of Agriculture for a new “pig brig” trap. In Director’s Comments, Miskiel said the pig brig that Parks purchased was working, and 45 wild hogs had been trapped within the past few weeks. He added that “Sam Dudley has been working tirelessly on it.”
The issue with the two existing traps that Parks owns is they are not mobile enough to reach sections of LLCP where evidence of hogs has been found. Parks had authorized the sale of those traps in the city auction, which is yet to be held. Commissioners voted unanimously to allow the traps to be traded for a trap matching the one in use.
Finances for projects ready to be used.
Beyond the hogs, Miskiel said that the department was working on a historic preservation plan for the parks system. He also said that the contractor in charge of tree removal in Basin Park, and other parks with dead trees, would begin work in October. A sinkhole at Harding Spring is covered, but expenses will require approval to fix it.
Miskiel provided commissioners with a spreadsheet of Parks’ financials to show that there was money to cover expenses of all the projects being taken on. “This is, out of the past four years, our best year,” Miskiel said as he informed commissioners of a net income in 2021 of $65,000. He also pointed out there is a cash balance of $483,000 due to major projects having been put on hold from last year.
The only contract not covered in the meeting had to do with a proposal from Crafton Tull on architectural planning for the parks. A second proposal from another company is forthcoming and commissioners agreed to wait until two competing proposals were available for review.