County Property Committee hears parks report on storm damage, trail washouts and approves parks bills

Ken, speaking during the County Property Committee's parks report on June 26, said fast, heavy rain had scoured creek crossings and knocked down multiple large trees, and that crews were working to clear trails and make damaged crossings passable.

"We got what, six inches of rain up there in like 10 minutes...there was two foot of water running through the prairie," Ken said, describing flood conditions that left several crossings about a foot and a half deeper than a month earlier. He showed photos of downed hickory and maple trees and said some spring poles remained hazardous and would require careful cutting.

The committee’s nut graf: the damage affects trail safety and access at multiple parks, and parks staff said they are prioritizing public-safety work and cleanup while continuing to see steady public use. Ken told the committee that reservations remain strong: multiple weekend bookings were filling facilities at Catelyn and Shabina, and several new events are scheduled at the ball diamond and other park areas.

On infrastructure, Ken described a temporary electrical workaround at the community center: an exterior outlet extension provides plug-in power for reservations (for crockpots and similar uses) that is removed and stored after events. He said permanent shelter wiring and concrete work is budgeted for next year (FY27) but may not be fully affordable; the committee discussed plans to budget outlets and concrete in the coming fiscal cycle.

Committee members asked about accessibility to lower creek trails and whether staff could use a grapple to clear large trees; Ken said high water currently prevents heavy equipment access and that some work will need to be done by hand if water levels do not recede soon. He also reported ongoing work cutting honeysuckle and encouraging native prairie plantings.

Procedural action: the committee moved to approve the parks bills during the meeting. The motion was made by Tom and seconded by Mike; the chair called for assent and the motion carried.

Looking ahead, parks staff said cleanup will continue while staff coordinates budget priorities for more permanent repairs and shelter wiring next fiscal year. The committee will review related budget items at upcoming meetings.