Shoshone County greenlights big money for green spaces
Gene Day Park is one of three parks operated by Shoshone County. It will receive several upgrades over the coming years as part of a $300,000 spending initiative by the Shoshone County Commissioners.
JOSH McDONALD
WALLACE – Last week, the Shoshone County Commissioners approved a $300,000 reinvestment of funds into the county’s parks department to begin the process of modernizing the deteriorating facilities.
Commissioner Dave Dose brought the proposal before the board after taking a recent tour of the county’s three parks and witnessing firsthand how outdated and dilapidated they were.
After explaining what he saw, Dose proposed that the county reallocate $300,000 of Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funds (LATCF) that had originally been set aside for broadband expansion and use it to begin updating the parks.
“We’ve been so guarded with what little funds we have that sometimes we don’t get a lot accomplished out there, especially maintenance,” Dose said. “Maintenance seems to be the first thing that got cut around here, years ago, because of the lack of funds.”
The board was shown images from the parks, showing rusted, broken, or aged playground equipment, maintenance equipment that has been cobbled together, all while being uncompliant with ADA standards.
Dose included a prioritized list with his proposal, including athletic facilities, electrical, and covered pavilions, but at the top of the list, he put the parks’ playgrounds.
“The bigger point is, we all want our kids to grow up here and stay in the area, but we invest very little in our youth and families,” Dose said.
Dose also promised that, as part of the board’s approval, he would go out to the larger businesses in Shoshone County and look for additional funds through donations, highlighting the investment the board is making in the community for families.
Commissioner Jeff Zimmerman was curious about the state of the county’s broadband projects before approving Dose’s proposal, but Shoshone County Grants Administrator Colleen Rosson explained that the current projects are being funded through USDA grants and should be completed by next year.
Shoshone County manages East Shoshone Park near Mullan, West Shoshone Park in Pinehurst, and Gene Day Park in Osburn.
The county plans to use its employees and volunteers, when possible, to complete the projects, but will also put portions of the multi-year project out for bid when necessary.