By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – Members of the Parsons City Council considered applications for the distribution of the William Mahan Harman Memorial Fund Tuesday. The four categories for the distribution include the Parsons Cemetery Committee, presented by David K. Greenlief Sr.; the Parsons Parks and Recreation Committee, presented by Timothy A. Auvil; the Five Rivers Public Library Board Inc., presented by Marvin G. Canfield; and the Benefit of the Citizens of Parsons Committee, presented by Bruce A. Kolsun.
This year, the initial requests totaled $977,400 which was $82,400 more than the William Mahan Harman Memorial Fund distribution of $895,000. Initial requests included:
Parsons City Cemetery Committee, $0; Parsons Park Board Inc., $165,000; Five Rivers Public Library Board Inc., $94,500; and Benefit of the Citizens of Parsons Committee, $717,900.
The Parsons City Cemetery Committee was awarded $0; Parsons Park Board Inc. was awarded $165,000; Five Rivers Public Library Board Inc. received $85,000; and the Benefit of the Citizens of Parsons Committee received $645,000.
The Benefit of the Parsons Committee distributions were broken down into the following:
Splash Park construction, $157,000; Splash Park equipment, $44,700; Splash Park security lights, $0; Splash Park construction inspection, $5,000; upgrade CSO flow meters, $14,000; Spruce Street storm water separation, $19,000; annual accounting audit for waste water, $5,000; Fork Mountain booster station telemetry, $8,000; Emergency generator telemetry, $7,000;water line replacement, $20,000; water system GIS mapping, $21,000; annual accounting audit for water, $5,000; street and sidewalk improvements $86,000; fleet equipment replacement, $25,000; 2015 Ford explorer payments, $7,000; Parsons Police Department, $72,000; Parsons Volunteer Fire Department equipment, $10,000; Tucker County All Veterans Memorial Wall repairs, $8,000; McDonald Building renovations, $64,000; Fairs and Festivals, $15,000; and the city of Parsons rainy day fund, $52,300.
Council members Pat Gray and Nick Carr voted no for the distribution.
Gray said he understood the McDonald Building needed money, but said he thought the Five Rivers Public Library needed to receive the money they requested.
“I think the Library should come in one step ahead of the McDonald Building renovations,” Gray said. “If you jump them up to their $94,500 they requested, how much would that leave for the McDonald Building?”
Councilman Tim Auvil said he would like to see the McDonald Building project continue and said he looked at the Library financials and said with the $11,000 carryover, they should be in good shape.
“It’s another one of those projects where it is too late to stop now,” Auvil said.
Carr said the only reason he voted on the way the funds were appropriated was because he said he did not feel the money should have been distributed based on averages.
“I think we should have done a line by line vote on the distribution, rather than just voting on the whole distribution at the end,” Carr said.
