Commissioners approve Covid-19 funds for park improvement

Dubois County Commissioners decided to invest $350,000 of the $8.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support efforts to add to the Dubois County Park.

The park board recently bid out work for the renovations that included adding 14 RV campsites, trail improvements, and the addition of a bathroom and information area. The park board received a $250,000 Land and Conservation Grant which it had to match with $250,000.

Only one bid was received and it came in just under $1.1 million.

Dubois Park Board President Christine Prior surmised that since the amount of money the board had to spend was publicly shared in the news, contractors decided it wasn’t worth bidding on the project.

Planners determined the cost of the construction could be cut by about $200,000 if they switched from copper wiring for the new RV campsites to aluminum.

A large portion of the cost of the project is tied up in the infrastructure necessary to add the new structures and RV campsites. By modifying the plans to use aluminum wire instead of copper wire and making other adjustments in using existing utility lines, the architect estimated about $200,000 could be cut from the cost. But it would still be more money than the park board has in hand.

Prior told commissioners they were seeking involvement from the community to raise the remaining funds, but the grant comes with a timeline. The work has to be completed by June of 2023.

“The fact of the matter is we have a $250,000 grant, we have a $250,000 match, and we still have a $900,000 project,” Prior said.

She asked the commissioners to invest in the project due to the impact it would have on the quality of life as well as attracting new residents to the area. Prior pointed out that her son is about to graduate from college and he is visiting different areas to determine if the amenities offered are adequate for his needs before he decides to move there. Parks are part of that consideration.

She also told the commissioners the revenue from the campsites has increased annually other than 2020. And even though the park was shut down for about a third of the season in 2020, it only incurred a loss of about 14 percent. “For their quality of life and their health and wellbeing, they saw Dubois County Park as a place to go,” Prior said. “That’s what the pandemic funds are for, looking not only at essentials of life but at wellness. And we feel like the Dubois County Park is a big part of that wellness … for all the county.”

The commissioners approved the use of up to $350,000 of American Rescue Plan funds for the project, agreeing with Prior that the park improvements would add to the county’s quality of place.

“This is one of those situations in which someone comes to us and says I have a plan and I have half the money for the plan,” Commissioner Chad Blessing said. “It is hard to walk away from the project and lose that investment and not have a park to the level we want it to be.”

Prior will work with the Dubois County Community Foundation to raise the remaining necessary funds.