Council approves $130,000 for county parking‑lot repairs amid heated park funding debate

Commissioner Ron Smith and Community Center Building Maintenance Supervisor Gary Fair asked the County Council for an additional appropriation of $130,000 from the Cumulative Capital Development Fund to repair, repave and bring county parking lots into ADA compliance and to address structural retaining‑wall issues.

Linda Hansen moved to approve the appropriation and Ruth Beer seconded; the motion carried 6–0 with Mayo Sanders absent. Gary Fair said he wants to involve an engineer and the City of Angola in planning and that the requested amount covers only existing lots, not new parking. Ruth Beer said she appreciated the commissioners addressing the wall to avoid future problems.

The parking‑lot request brought up a larger dispute over funding for the County Park and a proposed FEMA‑backed safety building. Council member Sara Tubergen repeatedly asked for revenue projections before endorsing additional park spending: "I can't vote for something that hasn't been shown to me to be the right decision for the people of this county." Dan Caruso warned the county could be taking on a project it cannot afford. Commissioner Smith pointed to park revenues—Auditor Kim Koomler reported Park 2013 annual revenue of $211,554 and Park 2014 revenue to date of $200,804—and argued improvements have increased general‑fund receipts. After discussion, council approved a related Major Moves transfer to cover incurred bills for park work; subsequent votes approving the transfer were recorded as carried (later motion recorded as five ayes with two members absent).