By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Lighting Projects in the City of Parsons are moving forward. The last pole on the River City Ball Field Lighting Project is ready to be set, according to Parsons City Manager Michael Simmons and funding has been approved for the Lighting Project on the trail at Corricks Ford Pond according to Park and Rec Commission Member Tim Turner.
Simmons said that he has been in contact with the funding agency that is supplying the grant for the project and while the City has the money for the project, they are now required to bid it out. The initial grant was submitted with only quotes with the understanding that the City would bid the project when the grant was received, Simmons was informed.
“We have the money for the lighting project now, but we have to bid it,” Simmons said.
The Corricks Ford Pond trail lighting project has been ongoing for a few years and will light the trail around the pond area in order to make it safer for people to walk in the early morning or later evening hours.
City of Parsons Council Member Melissa Jones said that the grant application was submitted with the understanding that if received the project would either be put out for bid or that City crews would complete the work. The application was completed by previous Councilmen erroneously, according to Jones, resulting in the need to bid out the project.
“It was written with the promise that it would either be bidded out or our guys would do it,” Jones said.
On the matter of the baseball field lights, Simmons said that he was in contact with the contractor. The contractor said that he encountered problems on the last hole when he struck solid rock two feet from completion, however he anticipates having the hole completed soon.
The next phase of construction, Simmons was told, will be the placing of pole bases and the setting of cement, followed by the placement of the poles and wires. There was not an estimate of when the project would be complete, however. Simmons did, however ask the contractor.
“What are we looking at once you get the holes drilled? I couldn’t tell ya,” Simmons said.
Simmons said he informed the contractor that there was a softball tournament the end of the month and he was told that the project would likely not meet that deadline. Simmons informed the Parsons City Council that the tournament would likely need to be canceled.
Simmons was hopeful it would be completed by baseball season.
“We’ve got a lot of time between now and baseball season,” Simmons said. “It’ll be a nice project when its done.”
