11-09-2011Blair City Park Board Meeting
November 9, 2011
The meeting was called to order by President Neil Jensen. Members present were Roger Petersen,
Ardee Pounds, Steve Tonn, Neil Jensen and Pat Long, Blair Park Department.
Ardee Pounds moved that the August 10 2011 meeting minutes be approved. Seconded by Roger
Petersen. Motion carried.
New Business:
2012 Budget
Pat Long discussed the 2012 budget. $20,000 is budgeted for playground equipment. $481 has been
spent out of the $20,000 for 6 trash cans. Plans are to put a rubberized mat at the playground in
Stemmerman Park. $14,000 is budgeted for resurfacing the tennis courts; $14,000 for paving at the
cementery; $3,000 for park signage. Pat will talk to Rod Storm, City Administrator, and the insurance
company about the proper signs. $6,500 is designated for tree and shrub removal and planting. Pat will
be applying for a Papio Missouri River NRD tree planting grant. The application is due in Feb. 2012. 50
trees were removed in 2011. $1,800 is designated for maintenance at Black Elk Park. The Park
Department is getting a new snow blower for their snow removal tractor. This will improve the
efficiency of cleaning the City trails.
Parks
Pat Long informed the board that plans are to put solid surfacing on the West side of the playground at
Steyer Park.
Picnic Pads have been poured at Black Elk this fall. Ardee Pounds suggested that signs be placed to
direct people to the playground area at Black Elk Park. Pat Long will look into the possibility of placing
the signs. The staff have pruned shrubs in Steyer and Black Elk Parks this fall.
Neil Jensen reported that the Arboretum tour in Steyer Park went well. A good group was in
attendance. The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum planted a Northern Red Oak tree in the park as a part
of the tour activities. The new tree was grown in a grow bag.
Roger Peterson reported that several sign posts have been replaced and more need to be replaced
especially for the crab apple trees in the Arbor School arboretum. They have lost some birch trees do to
the birch borer and have replaced them with resistant varieties.
Pat Long discussed possible sites for the Arbor Day tree planting in 2012. Steyer, Ridgeview and
Stemmerman Parks are a possibility along with Vets Field. Larger trees could be planted at Ridgeview
and shrubs or smaller trees would be better for Steyer Park. He asked the board to be thinking about
possible sites and varieties of trees to plant. At the February 2012 meeting we will need to finalize the
Arbor Day planting site.
There will not be meetings in December and January. The next meeting will be in February 2012.
Roger Petersen moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded by Ardee Pounds.
Motion carried. Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted by Steve Tonn.