Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
Shawano voters Tuesday overwhelmingly supported additional borrowing for a park improvement plan that will now go to the Common Council for consideration.
The non-binding advisory referendum asked voters whether the city should approve $1.85 million in additional borrowing for development of Franklin and Smalley parks and a splash pad to replace the kiddie pool at Memorial Park.
Unofficial results, which still need to be certified by the Board of Canvass, reported by the city Tuesday were:
Yes 767
No 440
If subsequently approved by the council, the plan would add 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to the tax bill, or $25 per $100,000 home.
Neither Mayor Jeanne Cronce nor Matt Hendricks, parks and recreation director, could be reached for comment Tuesday night.
At Franklin Park, the improvements would include an amphitheater for music, movies and community events; public restrooms, and pavilion space available for public rental; a water fountain with benches and trees for visual interest; parking, electrical, landscaping and infrastructure to accommodate community events; walkways, picnic tables and benches; and space for a future playground.
At Smalley Park, plans call for a park pavilion with restroom facilities and a rentable picnic shelter; a canoe and kayak launch; boat landings and boat slips; improved parking, lighting and security; walking trails that connect all of the major park features; trees and other native plantings, including native plantings along the waterway to deter geese; and continued revitalization of the beach and the improvement of beach amenities.
The plans also call for replacement of the wading pool at Memorial Park with a splash pad.
All of the plans were based on community input from a survey that asked what people want to see developed in Shawano’s park system.
The department typically has a capital improvements budget of $250,000 a year, meaning it could take about eight years to accomplish the proposed projects if none of that money were to be spent on any other park improvements, according to the city.
The additional borrowing would allow the improvements to be made within about two years, though the actual work would probably not get underway until next year.