Council Approves ‘Playable’ Heritage Park Project
 | Author:
Linda Kent, MT43 News Staff Reporter
MT43 News Correspondent |
Council Approves ‘Playable’ Heritage Park Project
Linda Kent
MT43 News Staff Reporter
Updated swings and bouncers for Heritage Park’s play equipment area got a boost on Feb. 20 as Townsend’s City Council greenlit a local teen’s Eagle Scout project. Townsend Troop 212 Scout John Sommer and his mother, Stacy Sommer of Helena’s Playable Playgrounds, presented John’s proposal to replace the existing adult and toddler swing sets with updated equipment, featuring additional equipment to improve accessibility.
Stacy Sommer, a veteran of numerous playground improvement efforts in the region, including the purchase and installation of the tall play structure at Townsend Elementary, explained that the park’s swing bays are out-of-date and need to be replaced. The project replaces those with four new belt swings, two bucket swings for toddlers, a high-backed accessible swing, and a “generational swing” which would allow an adult and child to swing together. The project also replaces two bouncers which are no longer in use.
The city was asked to remove and dispose of the existing equipment. Stacy Sommer estimated that the work might take anywhere from less than an hour to several days, depending on what the equipment is sitting on.
Funding for the approximately $15,000 project comes from a $10,000 matching grant from Townsend’s Rotary Club. The group plans to pursue additional grant funding from Walmart, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and others. Project team members also plan to seek donations of concrete and post-hole digging equipment. Scouts and Rotary Club members will provide labor for the installation, with insurance for the project covered by Boy Scouts of America.
The work would need to be completed by September to meet the requirements for John Sommer’s Eagle Scout award.
Council member JB Howick asked for clarification on whether the city would be responsible for the maintenance of the equipment. Stacy Sommer said she expected Townsend Rotary would assume the responsibility but did not have confirmation. Maintenance, she continued, would primarily consist of inspecting and replacing the swings’ belts and buckets at a cost of $130-200 per unit every two or so years.
The council approved the project in a 5-1 vote. Howick dissented, citing the lack of a written agreement regarding maintenance.
Also on the Feb. 20 agenda:
● A public hearing will be held at the beginning of the March 5 city council meeting to gain comment on the plan to end its interlocal agreement with Broadwater County for the City-County airport.
● Councilors adopted a resolution to place a five-member city government review board on the June primary ballot. A review of local government is required every 10 years by Montana law. The elected board would conduct the study and recommend whether to retain the city’s current council and mayor structure or adopt a council and city manager structure.
● The council voted to conditionally approve the annexation of land adjacent to the current city limits north of Cherry Street. The property, owned by Out of the Box, L.L.C., is planned to house a condominium development. The city’s approval of the annexation is dependent on the completion of infrastructure projects by Out of the Box, including water and sewer extensions, extension of North Cherry Street, completion of boulevards and sidewalks, and related fees and permits.
● Public Works Director Eric Crutsch presented three estimates for inspecting the sewer line between South Cherry and South Walnut streets and locating service locations. The work comes in anticipation of the planned Copper Springs Subdivision, which will include the installation of a new sewer lift station in the project’s planned third phase. The estimates included a low bid of approximately $600 for a television scan of the line only and two bids of $6,000 and $6,800 for a scan and measurement of each tap. The council asked Crutsch to follow up with the low bidder to determine whether the additional measurement service could be provided and what additional cost might be incurred.
● Heather Healea was appointed to the city’s planning board, replacing city council member JB Howick. Howick will resume his previous role as an observer.
● Jim Beck presented the results of his annual community water flow study. The study collected daily throughput volume at Townsend’s lift station and the city’s sewer lagoon outlet, as well as the output of the city’s wells during 2023. Beck told the council the data showed nothing of concern from the previous year. Beck also included a plot of the surface water levels near the city’s lift station for 2023, contrasted with similar data from each of the previous five years.
● Shawn Simon of the Townsend Volunteer Fire Department presented estimates for replacing 16 sets of air tanks, masks, and packs for the city’s volunteers. The estimate from SeaWestern Fire Fighting Equipment put the cost of 16 new sets, good for about 15 years, at $47,000. That estimate would only be valid through April. Certified used equipment, which would need to be recertified or replaced in two years, at around $8,900.
Simon said he felt that given the amount of use the equipment would get, the cost of a wholly new set would not be justified. He added that used equipment would still be significantly better than the current packs. Simon also said that the city might be able to obtain a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for the new equipment. However, like all grants, that funding would not be guaranteed. The council will take the matter under advisement.
