By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
The City Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Mountaineer Trail Network. Andrew Walker represented the organization at the meeting.
“I’d like to start as soon as possible, like the next couple of weeks,” Walker said. “We will move into some projects, specific project ideas that the City of Parsons has. As soon as you like.”
Walker asked who would be his point of contact with the city. “My question would be, what would be the appropriate body for me to communicate with? Would it be the City Council, is it the Park Board? Who should I be working with specifically?”
Councilman Tim Auvil said that would depend on the location of the project and focus he was addressing. “That would depend on what part of it you’re working on,” Auvil said. “If it’s within the Parks area of responsibility or Parks property, then probably the Park Board, but if it was within the City’s property, then it would probably be Aggie and the Mayor.”
“The two parcels right now are the Parkwood Lane area and the 219 Bridge,” Walker said. Walker went on the describe some of the plans that are proposed. “Probably next steps will be, I would like to identify some improvements that you all would see as needed.”
According to Walker, there is funding already allocated for the organization’s projects. “We’ve got some funds already allocated for those kinds of projects for signage and for some infrastructure improvements.”
Walker said the organization is also applying to additional grant funding. “But we are also in the process of applying for some…recreation grant fund money. Those applications are coming due in October,” Walker said
According to Walker, the funding would be applied to several improvement projects the organization is working on. “So, we would love to be able to apply on behalf of the City of Parsons and some of the other partners to get some improvement money for put ins, gravel, potentially some paving, some extra stuff, just to make the access points a little bit better for folks.”
The City Council approved a motion to sign the MOU and signed the document in session so that Walker could return with the document that night.
