Bartholomew County has an opportunity at hand, essentially a blank canvas to create a vibrant county parks system.
What it has currently, though, is a collection of parks that are underutilized, not well known and in need of maintenance and continued support.
The county did the correct thing in asking for the creation of a master plan for the parks, which was a welcome and necessary step.
A preliminary five-year master plan created by consultant Ed Curtin for the county paints a not-so-rosy picture of the current state of the county parks, which have been ignored for many years in favor of other county projects or needs. But, it provides an accurate starting point and suggestions for improvement.
For example, Curtin studied seven other counties that have county parks, to compare them to Bartholomew County. He found that Bartholomew is the only one of those county systems with no full-time employees and no programming. The county has five part-time employees.
The plan suggests that the county should have a full-time executive who could perform administrative duties and labor. Having such a point person would be extremely helpful with park programming and executing important recommendations in the master plan.
Another plan suggestion is to create a website and social media accounts to inform people about the county parks system. In today’s digital age, this is a must-have item in order to connect with families and individuals.
Other recommendations include:
Closing two parks, Clifford and Elizabethtown, because they already have parks within their boundaries
Fencing upgrades at Dunn Stadium and at Petersville Park
Replacing the playground at Azalia Park
Improving the ball fields at Mt. Healthy Park
The county leasing some of its equipment due to age
The estimated price tag for the county is $1.3 million over the next five years to make all improvements.
While that’s a sizable amount, it’s apparent that the county is overdue for making a serious investment in its county parks.
A vibrant county parks system is a possibility, but not without proper funding and support by the Bartholomew County Council, the county’s commissioners and the county park board.
The final master plan will be submitted to county officials for action in April. That’s when the county can show it’s serious about creating a strong parks system.
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