Parks grant app squabble resolves into compromise

A squabble for potential grant funding resolved in a compromise Monday evening as representatives of two organizations agreed during the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to combine forces to apply for one $15,000 state grant.

Bill King, chairman of the Skate Park Committee, and Barb Deschner Dunnam, director of Eureka Kids, clashed last week during the Wednesday city council meeting over who was going to apply for the grant which will be awarded in May.

Dunnam rushed to the council meeting at 10 p.m. to challenge a resolution King had asked the council to read supporting the skate park project.

She maintained the grant "belongs to Eureka Kids for building improvements" because state Sen. Phil Jackson and state Rep. Randy Laverty have promised their support when the application is reviewed.

A council resolution is required for the application. Dunnam said she had asked for a council resolution but had been told the Wednesday agenda was "too full."

King's resolution had been on the agenda for the council meeting of Feb. 23, but he had withdrawn it, saying he wouldn't compete with Eureka Kids.

He told the council last week that when he saw Dunnam's resolution was not on the agenda, he asked for his to be read.

Deadline for submitting the application is March 26.

As a result of the dispute, neither resolution was read and the entire matter was tabled to the council meeting of March 22.

In the Parks meeting, King said he "is not anti-Eureka Kids, but very skate park focused right now. We are on a very tight time line. We have found out that Dreamland (Skate Parks of Oregon) will still be in this general area and could start on our project June 1.

"We have pushed our start date back (from April 1) so we will have more time to raise money," King said.

The construction cost of the park is estimated at $75,000. The city council has already pledged $25,000 in capital funds toward the project.

Dunnam still seemed angry at King Monday evening. She said some of his information about the grant "is not correct."

"As a member of the Parks Commission, I have a problem with you going to the city council and asking for this resolution without the commission's knowledge or approval, acting on your own," she said.

"I have issues with you going to the council without the knowledge of the skate park committee."

Speaking to Commission Chairman Bill Featherstone, Dunnam asked that King be removed from the Skate Park Committee.

"We are not going there right now," Featherstone answered.

Several commissioners were surprised that Dunnam was asking for the grant to make repairs on the community center building in Harmon Park.

She said she was actually looking for a total of $30,000 to repair windows, for a new heating and air conditioning system and repairs to downstairs walls and floors.

Featherstone tried to smooth things out by saying to Dunnam and King, "You are both very passionate people about the projects you believe in. Perhaps the Parks Commission needs to be more involved and you guys need to act less independently and keep us involved in what is going on."

As discussion continued for more than an hour about options for making the repairs, funding both projects, using budget reserves and how to find more money, Dunnam finally said, "I was only going to apply for $9,000 of the ($15,000) grant anyway. I would be willing to have the skate park have the other $6,000."

As the sides started coming together, the final compromise was for Dunnam and King to speak to the city council during its regular meeting Monday evening about a resolution supporting a grant for "Harmon Park redevelopment/ improvements" rather than the individual community center improvements or the skate park.

Parks grant app squabble resolves into compromise

A squabble for potential grant funding resolved in a compromise Monday evening as representatives of two organizations agreed during the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to combine forces to apply for one $15,000 state grant.

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