Repairs needed at Alpena Optimist Club Youth Park Playground
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ALPENA -- The Alpena County Commissioners discussed future improvements to the Alpena Optimist Youth Park Playground funded by the Alpena Optimist Club and potentially Murphy Builders.
The playground has been a mainstay at the Alpena County Fairgrounds for many years.
Despite community rumors which say that the commissioners have denied or tabled the Optimist Club's donation, repairs to the playground will be voted on once logistics are arranged, according to Board Chairman John Kozlowski.
On Tuesday, commissioners gave reports from their respective committees. Kozlowski and Commissioner Todd Britton reported that Beckie Thomson, president of the Alpena Optimist Club, had approached commissioners after August's facilities committee meeting about the playground at the Alpena County Fairgrounds.
Thomson told Kozlowski that the club has $12,000 to put towards repairs, but that the club was hesitant to begin any construction until the proposal between the county and Blackwater NE LLC was decided.
Blackwater NE LLC is a development company that proposed to make upgrades and repairs to the Alpena County Fairgrounds back in April. In June, commissioners decided to deny the proposal.
"She said they'd been holding off on making repairs to the playground until they found out what the county was doing with the fairgrounds," Kozlowski said. "She did say they didn't want to put $12,000 in for upgrades if the county had approved the contract with Blackwater."
"That's kind of why they held up on the funds," he added.
Britton said that Nick Akins, the Alpena County maintenance superintendent, had mentioned that Murphy Builders had volunteered to do some of the needed repair work at the park.
At the facilities committee meeting, County Administrator Jesse Osmer said that the club is "absolutely willing to come in and do the updates needed to the park."
"They are going to do that either this fall or early next spring," Osmer added. "They just want to wait until the fair is over."
Vice Chair Brenda Fournier suggested moving the playground for safety concerns.
"I'd like to see it moved for the reason, the location of it, people can't really see what's going on with their children back there," she said. "No one there and no one watching them. And people walking up from behind, someone could grab a child. You just don't know."
"I thought it would be a good idea to move it," she added.
Kozlowski said that the board has to decide if the playground should be moved to a more visible location before the Optimist Club makes any repairs.
Commissioner Travis Konarzewski agreed with Fournier and said that he recalls a past conversation regarding moving the playground to free up space for more campsites.
"And maybe get that out in a better area where it will be better utilized," he added. "I wouldn't be opposed to moving it if it made sense. And it may get more use."
In February, Fournier suggested relocating the fairgrounds playground equipment and turning the area into additional campsites. She suggested removing equipment that is broken or could lead to injury.
“Nobody does any maintenance on it,” Fournier said in February. “A lot of the equipment for the kids is getting broke and they could get hurt. We could get sued."
On Tuesday, Kozlowski stated that before any decision is made, the board would have to relay their information to the club and discuss what are the best options moving forward.
"When I talk to her I'll bring that up," he said. "Before anyone moves forward, it will give us more time to think about any concerns we have when they come back to present."
Kozlowski told The News that nothing has been tabled or denied regarding the fairgrounds playground.
"We are not, not moving forward," he said. "We are just getting everything lined up."
Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.