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BROOKFIELD -- Township officials are reviewing options on whether to add a new pavilion and a recreational walking trail for the township park.
Road supervisor Jamie Fredenburg told the board at a recent trustees meeting about seeking available state grants for a new 30-by-50-foot open pavilion at a cost of $70,000.
He said two options are being considered for a recreational trail. One would cost $153,000 for a 3,300-foot-long, 10-foot-wide trail from the parking lot to the north end of the park property line and back through the woods.
The second option is a trail going around the perimeter of the park above playing field one, at 5,330 feet long and $245,000.
Trustee Gary Lees said trustees could seek Ohio Nature Reserve funding of up to 75 percent as well as look at any Appalachia funds and federal funding available.
Trustee Chairman Dan Suttles said trustees in 2016 put a park levy on the ballot, which voters turned down.
"They told us they did not want us spending more money in the park," Suttles said. "I want the park to be nice, too, but we do not have the funds for the park. The public said no. Over a five-year period we are ignoring what the public has told us."
He said he'd rather see money be put into roads that need paved or repaired.
Suttles said except for the baseball program that brings people to the park and some regular people walking dogs, fewer than 100 people per year use the park.
Fiscal officer Dena McMullin said there needs to be some money-making at the park, such as a farmers market, or donations.
"The general fund is being depleted. We need to recoup costs that are eating into the budget," she said.
Trustee Ron Haun residents also turned down levies for road and cemetery, which still need things done, and like the park are paid from the township's general fund.
Suttles said the township is required to provide roads and cemetery -- but not a park.
Also, trustees will seek available community development block grants through the Trumbull County Planning Commission for the Davis Street storm water improvement project.
Fredenburg said previously that block grants were used for storm sewer projects on Burnett Street and Ulp Street.
He said storm water problems on Davis Street with water coming off Erie Street have caused flooding in the area. Fredenburg said the Davis Street area is a low- to moderate-income area, which will help in seeking CDBG.
"This needs to be done in the area," said Lees.
"There has been a lot of problems there for a lot of years,'' Haun said.
In addition, Fredenburg said road paving needs done on Ulp, Hazelton, Third and Davis streets and Ira Avenue, and drainage work on Erie Street.
Fredenburg said with the block grant funds the township will incur no costs.
bcoupland@tribtoday.com