Opinion: An Outline of Ongoing Needs and Maintenance for Peninsula Township Parks

(Editor’s Note: Parks Committee member Michele Zebell outlines what it takes to maintain Peninsula Township’s many parks, including projects such as new playgrounds, pickleball courts and more. Read on for her thoughts. -jb)

In my short tenure on the Peninsula Township parks committee, I have experienced the powerful results of generous and thoughtful people working together for the benefit of our community. Every individual’s contribution of time, talent, muscle power, and knowledge, all those bits and pieces coming together, have led to wonderful additions and improvements to our parks.

The efforts of volunteers, the parks committee, and Bowers Harbor Pickleball equate to significant dollars and cents, as many of the enhancements were beyond the means of the park budget. Their tremendous contributions, as well as the persistence of township governance to pursue grants and leverage ARPA funds to their fullest benefit, moved park projects from “hoped for” to realized.

Among others, their efforts laid the groundwork for the protection of Pelizzari’s beautiful hemlocks and a long-awaited East Bay boat launch at Kelly Park. A sincere thank you to Trustees William Rudolph, David Sanger, Armen Shanafelt, Maura Sanders, and former Trustee Warren Wahl, as well as Supervisor Isaiah Wunsch, Treasurer Marge Achorn, and Clerk Rebecca Chown for supporting our parks and the work of the committee.

Forty-plus volunteers assisted with the playground renovation, the newly planted trees, the basketball court installation, resurfaced tennis courts, the native plant garden, and the community celebration at Bowers Harbor Park. When coupled with the 400-some individuals who contributed to the cost of designing and installing a beautiful new pickleball facility, the collective volunteer hours approach 1,000.

These were special projects: ARPA funds, donations of all sizes, insurance reimbursement, grants, donations by local businesses and farmers, and some township funds — most, one-time funding opportunities, provided the necessary financial support. All of this is to be celebrated; my sincere thanks to these generous, civic-minded people.

It would, however, be irresponsible of me not to mention the enormity of caring for our parks, to provide perspective as the discussion of removing parks from the township budget and relying only upon volunteers is discussed as a viable fiscal solution by some of the candidates running for township office. Below is a snapshot of ongoing park needs:

Task: Mowing and Trimming

• Hours (approx.) to complete: 100 hours per week, May – October
• Required Equipment: Riding mowers, trimmers

Task: Plowing

• Hours (approx.) to complete: 8 – 12 hours per snow event, November – April
• Required Equipment: Vehicle(s) with plow
  

Task: Trash Collection and Cleaning Vault Toilets

• Hours (approx.) to complete: 12 – 25 hours every week, based upon season and usage
• Required Equipment: Pick-up or vehicle with trailer; disposal if unfunded?

Task: Misc. Repairs and Maintenance

• Hours (approx.) to complete: 10 hours per week, year-round
• Required Equipment: Dependent upon task, need a wide range of skills and tools

Task: Tree Care (safety)

• Hours (approx.) to complete: Too dangerous for volunteers
• Required Equipment: Chain saws, a lift, chipper

Task: Watering Trees at Bowers Harbor Park

• Hours (approx.) to complete: 6 hrs. per week/ 120 hrs. per year; currently completed by volunteers
• Required Equipment: Tank, pump, personal vehicle

At this time, much of the annual parks’ budget pays for these needed tasks. To replace paid services with volunteers would necessitate summer volunteer hours of 141+ per week. Moving to a volunteer maintenance team would require a significant number of people and a substantial amount of additional volunteer time planning and coordinating volunteer assignments.

Additionally, the township does not own the vehicles and equipment needed for these tasks. Besides contributing their time, volunteers would also need to provide their own equipment.

As a side note, the parks committee is not currently managing Mission Point Lighthouse, though it is part of the park system with a fulltime employee caring for it. The suggestion that all parks simply go to a volunteer system means eliminating the lighthouse position, as well as the revenue stream that supports the lighthouse visitor and education program.

Finally, we have had an opening on the seven-member parks committee for months, with no interest expressed to date. We now have a second opening. While members of the parks committee can choose to receive a small stipend for attending monthly meetings, their work for “their” park is volunteer, uncompensated, ongoing, and absolutely necessary.

Can we really move to an all-volunteer workforce to care for our parks? In light of the needs and time our parks require, this seems like uninformed, magical thinking to me. To risk one of our township’s greatest assets, our parks, to crossing our fingers and hoping for the level of volunteerism this would require is reckless and irresponsible.

If our parks are important to you, please refer to the township candidates’ Q & A’s in the Old Mission Gazette. Your time and consideration are greatly appreciated as you make your ballot decisions.

Here are some excellent resources to gain a deeper understanding of our parks and the work of the parks committee:

• The LIAA Report: Parks Funding and Feasibility Study
  (Page 18 compares area township park budgets and acreage to Peninsula Township)
• Peninsula Township 2023 Parks and Recreation Plan

Also Read…

Opinion: Volunteers Cannot Maintain Township Parks Year-Round