Last modified: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:08 PM CDT

By Barbara Lyon
Editor

One of the most consistent complaints the Menomonie Recreation Department receives each year is about the unsavory condition of the restrooms by ball diamond #6 at Wakanda Park.

On Monday night, Rec Department director Gary Barnett told the Menomonie City Council, “It is probably the one facility that raises the most complaints throughout the summer, especially with all the ball games that we have up there for youth. With food and picnics and so forth, it’s not a real clean area and an area that you would want to use.”

Multiple needs

Mayor Dennis Kropp confirmed Barnett’s assessment. “This is to replace a bathroom that goes all the way back to the days when we used to have camping up there. ... There’s no question the bathroom itself needs to be replaced.”

Plans were already in place to install a pre-fabricated, vandal-proof facility. But an opportunity to incorporate into the project a solution to another need at Wakanda Park was introduced.

“We’re looking right now at where it’s [the restroom facility] placed, next to ball diamond #6,” city engineer Charlie Jones said, noting that the park’s only other enclosed shelter is heavily used. “We believe that there could be use for a shelter that would be partially enclosed and would have doors that would lift up and pull down.”

Barnett told the council, “We look to incorporate the shelter here mainly to address the demand that’s been placed on the Wakanda pavilion [located within sight of the Dunn County Fish & Game property] ... the only enclosed shelter with a kitchen area and restrooms all in the same facility.”

The Wakanda pavilion is in high demand, Barnett added, noting that so far this year, the Rec Department has received 52 reservations.

“The rush is for people to be able to get that one,” he explained. “Our policy is that we reserve one year in advance of the date of the event. Monday mornings during the months of June, July and August, we draw straws among staff to see who has to be there first to separate the crowd as they rush to make their reservations. It’s a demand for that type of facility that we’re looking to incorporate and potentially include in this project.”

Doing it right

A similar 24’x16’ structure shelter is proposed for the site of the existing restrooms by diamond #6 near the entrance to the park.

“With the doors, it could be used as an open-air shelter, or could be closed in inclement weather and could be kept more secure that way,” Jones said. “The issue is that the original construction cost is estimated at $87,000. With the doors and the shelter area, we’re probably closer to $135,000 to $145,000.”

Recommending the project to the council, Kropp said. “You’ve heard me before; if you’re going to do something, you ought to do it right. This opportunity only comes along once every 30 or 40 years. Besides the additional cost of $60,000 over probably 40 or 50 years, it doesn’t come out to be that much a year. You try and divide that among the people who are going to use it and benefit from it and enjoy it — it’s a relatively small cost.”

Jerry Traxler moved to approve the project.

“Our family picnic has been down there for about 11 or 12 years,” he said. “I tried to get the pavilion ... I got there three days late this year and wasn’t even close to getting it.”

Sue Beety disagreed with Kropp’s concept of amortizing the cost.

“I think you should be working as a loan officer, mayor, because we’re almost doubling the cost here and you’re saying it won’t be much amortized over many years,” she said. “My question is: where is this money coming from ... we’re going to have to borrow more for it. ... Even though I think this should probably be done, it’s a big difference — $87,000 and $145,000 ... it’s still a lot of money.”

Funding the project

Borrowing $100,000 for the original restroom planned was approved earlier by the council. But since it is too late in the season to begin the construction process, the council decided instead to use  $27,932 of the funds to replace the failed boiler system at the Leisure Center.

(No longer able to be repaired, the 1956 heating plant will be replaced with two boilers to provide a back-up in case one fails to operate, especially on a -20 degree day. As low bidder, Halverson Brothers of Menomonie was awarded the contract.)

The remainder of the funds needed for the pavilion project will be borrowed next year. Although Lee Schwebs was absent, the motion passed, with Beety and Julie Riedel opposed.   

Other action

In other action, the council:

• Approved the addition of a question — requiring health insurance coverage for all state residents by the end of 2009 — to the November general election ballot.

• Approved special event requests to use various city streets for Blue Devil Run/Walk on Oct. 18, and for the Menomonie High School band on Oct. 2 as well as  for the Dunn County Democratic Party  on Oct. 3 to sell food at Wilson Park.

• Approved additional inspectors for the presidential general election on Nov. 4 to satisfy additional requirements of the Help America Vote Act and expected increased voter turnouts.

Barbara Lyon can be reached at barbara.lyon@lee.net.

Copyright © 2009 Dunn County News