Parks staff eyes state Ozlet grant to fund new ADA restroom at Area 1

Chair Dave Torres opened the parks report and invited Ken to review recent trail repairs and facilities planning. Ken said trail crossings and two flood-damaged areas are fixed and that the parks department plans plantings and small play cutouts to line a turf trail leading from the pavilion. "The crossings are fixed," Ken said, adding that he would order plants for Area 1 and pursue small play features to create a child‑friendly path.

Ken outlined funding options and a near-term grant opportunity. "So I can talk about, the grant, the Ozlet grant, which, it's a state grant," he told the committee, and said the application is due Aug. 31 and is a 50/50 match. He explained the grant explicitly allows bathrooms and sanitation work and that the county does not need fully executed contracts to apply — itemized estimates and standardized industry costs will suffice for the application. Ken said the project would also require ADA‑compliant sidewalks and parking to make a new centralized restroom accessible year‑round.

Ken and other committee members discussed site infrastructure and timing. He said the project likely needs either a new well or to extend an artesian source and that civil and septic engineers would be needed for soil testing and design. Chair Dave Torres and staff agreed the committee can prepare a design and estimates in the roughly one‑month window before the Aug. 31 application deadline if the committee decides to pursue the grant this year.

The committee did not vote on pursuing the grant at this meeting; Ken said if an application is not successful this year the Ozlet program is offered annually and the county could reapply.