Beach crew getting ready

BY CINDY TOOPES COURIER STAFF WRITER

May 14, 2008 12:30 am

— OTTUMWA — Jered Brisby has been on the run since kinder weather arrived in early May.
Brisby is the maintenance supervisor at The Beach Ottumwa. When he sat down Tuesday afternoon at the table with the Park Advisory Board, he said “it was the first time” he’d sat down all day.
“April’s weather didn’t allow much work outdoors this month and we’re making up for it,” he said.
Last month the park board decided to meet at The Beach and tour the facility.
Brisby also said he has replaced 75 percent of the ceiling tiles. But, some of the concrete in the 16-year-old water park is deteriorating.
“The outdoor catch pool has been fixed. We were losing 5,000-7,000 gallons a day,” he said.
There’s still a large pile of tree limbs on the property but Brisby said he’ll “bring in a chipper” to dispose of those.
“The fire systems have been checked and we now have a kitchen range hood that’s been upgraded to national standards and it has a wet system now,” Brisby said.
Rubber matting in the kids’ play area has been replaced and the park now has 30 new metal loungers.
Gene Rathje, the city’s park and recreation/The Beach Ottumwa manager, said he’d received a call from someone interested in a dog park.
Board Member Sarah Sels said she’d “heard about those” parks for exercising dogs and owners have to clean up after their pets.
“We need more information about how they operate those,” she added.
Parks Maintenance Supervisor Chris Cobler said the citywide tree cleanup took most of his department’s time during March; but, crews did get the water turned on at the ball fields, cleaned restrooms and did a “playground audit.”
“In April we sent two workers to the playground safety classes and we’re getting some things fixed,” Cobler said.
Cobler’s crews have also planted 75 trees, which were obtained through the Wapello County Conservation Board. The trees are now in the nursery at Memorial Park.
Cobler also said 12 new signs to identify the city’s parks are almost ready and will soon be posted.
Jeff Noe of A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) asked the board about a site for his organization’s annual party to raise funds for charities. He said ABATE’s District 14 has 611 members in Wapello, Davis, Mahaska, Jefferson, Keokuk, Washington, Van Buren and Henry counties.
“In our glory days we donated to 33 charities after bringing in $11,000,” he said. “Now we’re down to 10 charities and not a lot of money.”
Noe said ABATE checked Bridge View Center as a possible site but it “wasn’t financially possible” for the group. Their next choice was Ottumwa Park.
“The problem is the park closes at 11 p.m. and we hope the board will consider a longer time [for this event],” Noe said.
Board Member Robert LaPoint chaired the meeting and suggested Noe submit a formal request for the board’s agenda next month.
The board approved minutes from the April 8 meeting, which included a discussion of the water temperature of the showers at The Beach.
Finance Director Mike Heffernan had said the showers use the same water heater as the pools, but the Beach will be getting an “on-demand” water heater for the showers.
Public Works Director Larry Seals had said there are two kinds of “on-demand” water heaters and The Beach will be getting one for commercial use with the water on a continuous circulating system.
Board Member Kim Hellige had asked about the status of the major league football field. Seals said he had sent Randall Fields of the Ottumwa Hawks what he needed to prepare before he made a presentation to the board.
The April minutes also noted the Kids First Committee has raised all but $3,000 for Phase One of their playground project. Construction should begin June 9 or June 15.
Depending on the utilities located in the ground in Sycamore Park, the entire structure may have to be moved over slightly, according to the minutes. However, it shouldn’t affect any trees.
Phase Two of the project will include the second leg of the playground equipment and the shelter. Phase Three will include the bathrooms.