The Whitehall city council passed a resolution approving three Department of Natural Resources grant applications at its Tuesday, March 26 meeting, committing a total of $132,800 in matching funds should the grants be approved.
The applications target improvements at three different Whitehall parks - Funnell Field, Gee Park and Goodrich Park.
The Funnell Field application largely revolves around replacing the bathroom facilities at the field. City manager Scott Huebler said the current facilities are theoretically functional, but they can be “hit and miss.” The application seeks $80,000 in DNR funds for a $125,000 total project.
The grant for Gee Park, Huebler said, is similar to an application the city unsuccessfully made last year. The city seeks just under $40,000 from the state for a project that costs about $85,000 in all and revolves around fencing in the park on its north and west sides in order to clearly demarcate the park area from the private property of its neighbors. The grant would also include a new play structure with wood fiber fall protection, as well as new parking spaces. Huebler added that the city would seek to have in-county workers do the installation, the use of whom would count towards the city’s matching funds.
Like the Gee Park application, the Goodrich Park application is being made after a previous unsuccessful attempt. This time, the city’s ask is $35,000 for a project costing nearly $78,000 total. Unlike the other two applications, the matching funds would not be coming from the city’s general fund, but from Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) funds. The project would seek to add a new swing set to the park, as well as fencing and security cameras around the splash pad, new cooking grills and striping for new parking spaces.
Huebler said if the grants are not approved, the council will determine alternate uses for the budgeted matching funds.
The city awarded two-year contracts to Ted’s Tree Service out of Montague for tree maintenance and to Jelinek Tree Service out of Twin Lake for brush pickup during the meeting. Three businesses put in bids for those services, with Ted’s and Jelinek providing the lowest pricing. Ted’s has worked with the city in the past, but it was noted that Jelinek was receiving its first city contract. Huebler said that Ted’s will be the city’s preferred contact in the event of an emergency, with Jelinek as the backup.
The council also discussed the chances of getting an additional stoplight or a crosswalk at the intersection of Colby and Franklin Street from the Michigan Department of Transportation. Huebler said MDOT will not support another stoplight; however, they may be able to add a “flashing” crosswalk, similar to the one in downtown Montague on the corner of Dowling and Ferry Street. The crosswalk features a flashing light, signaling to oncoming traffic when a pedestrian wants to cross the street. Especially during the school year, there are concerns about children trying to cross the street in a busy area, such as on Colby. Council members feel a flashing crosswalk would be most beneficial in trying to slow traffic down and making it safer. The council also approved the Chamber of Commerce’s request to sponsor a visit from the Kayak Adventure Series this summer.
