Donated shares to finance the senior center project
Sulfur Springs officials this week reported both good and bad news regarding the proposed senior citizen center project as well as good news regarding the Pacific Park project. While the bid for the prefabricated metal frame for the new senior citizen’s building was much higher than city officials expected, the city also received a stock donation to support the project and a grant to fund the additional outdoor fitness facility at Pacific Park.
Senior center project
Sign for the senior center at its current location on MLK Drive
City Manager Marc Maxwell noted that while more than 20 packages were requested, the city received only one offer, and it was for more than half a million dollars, up from the quarter of a million dollars originally earmarked for the prefabricated steel frame the senior center. Rising construction costs were cited as the cause.
“The news we get is that none of the steel suppliers are willing to guarantee the price of the steel, so the contractors add a huge margin to cover themselves,” said Maxwell.
The city manager expects to ask the city council at a future meeting to decline the offer and later seek renewed offers for the pre-fabricated metal frame for the new Oak Avenue facility for senior activities.
Maxwell also reported that a donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has expressed a desire to give the city a “substantial” supply, the proceeds of which would be used to build senior centers. The donor wants to bring in the stock instead of selling it and then donating the proceeds as the donor would then incur tax liabilities.
“You just want to donate the share. We have no way of obtaining it without an account. There’s kind of a previous relationship there with Craig Johnson, Edward Jones. I would therefore like to receive authorization to open an account to receive the share. As soon as we receive it, we will sell it immediately and credit the proceeds to our equity account. Our finance department will do all the other things, ”Maxwell told the city council during the regular July meeting earlier this week.
The city council authorized the city administrator to open an Edward Jones account in order to receive the stock donation.
Oak Avenue property on which a new senior citizen center is to be built
Pacific Park Project
While voters approved funding to build a new Grays Building and a Texas Parks & Wildlife grant for additional renovations in the park, another grant was approved to also fund an outdoor fitness center in Pacific Park.
Deputy City Manager Tory Niewiadomski noted that the outdoor gym is one of the things identified by the community. A master plan for parks and recreational areas has been developed to improve urban facilities. Niewiadomski and City Manager Marc Maxwell reached out to the National Fitness Campaign, a program that offers communities $ 25,000 in grants to help out.
The city’s parks were assessed. Given the significant investment in Pacific Park, this was the recommended area for an outdoor fitness facility. NFC looked into it, and the city received a $ 25,000 grant to build an outdoor fitness center in Pacific Park.
“This is an outdoor gym that offers free fitness facilities to all residents and visitors and is accessible to all ages and abilities,” said Niewiadomski.
The National Fitness Campaign concept includes equipment for 7 movements (core, squat, push, lunge, pull agility and bending) that can be performed in 7 minutes using your own body weight to achieve a “perfect workout”. City officials played a short video from the NFC 2021 website about the purpose of the campaign and the use of outdoor fitness areas.
Maxwell said he plans to reach out to 2-3 industries to see if they will work with the city to provide $ 30,000 to $ 35,000 each to fund the gym.
Niewiadomski asked the city council for approval so that funding for an outdoor fitness area can be budgeted for in the 2021-22 calendar year.
The city council approved Resolution No. 1245, which accepted and allocated funds for an outdoor fitness area as part of the 2021 National Fitness Campaign.
Ribbon cut last month for HW Grays’ new building, with the exception of the inside roller doors leading to the park which have been ordered but the metal doors have yet to arrive and be installed. There are aluminum doors inside so that the facility can be used until this point.
