Twenty thousand dollars was cut from the proposed 1976 park fund Tuesday as the New Ulm City Council continued its budget review.

The cut will mean postponement of a new shelter at Hermann Heights, of a control building at the trap range, and of improvements at Johnson Field.

Councilmen suggested sinking funds be set up for the shelter and trap range building, to build up money over at least two years in-stead of trying to do it all in one year.

ALLOCATION FOR the Hermann shelter was cut from a proposed $25,000 to $15,000. The shelter to be replaced is the central one, number three, which has no cooking facilities.

The trap range building was projected to cost a minimum of $8,000 for building, foundation and septic system. The council okayed $4,000 allocation for 1976.

City Manager Richard Salvati said the two-year-old trap range has been “extremely successful” and serves an adult population not using any other park program. He said the trap range payment to the city for use of the facilities (about $850 per year) will eventually pay for the improvements.

The building can be designed as movable but Salvati said he thinks the present site, location of the trap range and the city dog pound, is a good one. He said sewer and water service which would make good sites out of the old city landfill is several years off.

Councilmen directed that the yearly income to the city from the trap range go into the sinking fund for the trap range building.

JOHNSON FIELD-Park allocation was cut by $4,000 to $7,460. Salvati said the proposed $11,460was needed for football bleachers (estimated $8,000), replacing rotted wooden seats at the baseball field estimated $2,500),replacing canvas (estimated $960).

The present bleachers used for football are actually softball bleachers and are too low for viewing football, Salvati said.

Even the proposed allocation wouldn’t finance everything that needs doing at the Johnson site, Salvati said, “but we have a tremendous complex down there.”He said fencing needs to be completed and the locker rooms are totally deteriorated, work which was not included in the $11,460 proposed allocation.

“It’s a great facility,” Salvati said,”one of the best I’ve ever seen. This kind of expenditure is needed to keep it up.”

Councilmen noted the 1975allocation for the Johnson complex was $5,000.

Bill Gafford said the park “wasn’t built in one year,it didn’t wear out in one year, and it can’t be fixed in one year.”

APPROPRIATIONS FOR North Park improvements and park apparatus were each cut by $1,000. Salvati said the proposed $5,000 for North Park was for grading, sodding and laying out a second field. Councilmen said there was still $1,500 left in the fund which combined with $4,000 would give $5,500for the field work.

Among proposals left untouched was $5,000 towards the Riverside Park wading pool sinking fund. A similar amount was set aside in the 1975 budget. Salvati said total cost will run to $30,000 or $40,000 by the time filtration and circulation equipment and restrooms are included. Councilmen indicated such a sum was too high.

Also okayed was $2,000 for restoration of the German Park grandstand and $1,800 to repair concrete steps, for example at Third N. and German Park and on approaches to the swimming pool.

The park fund total as okayed came to $124,600, up from $90, 200 in 1975.

THE $422,000 police fund, up $45,000 from 1975, was approved without change. Salvati said 75 per cent of the total is for employees and the increase represents higher wages.

New Ulm Daily Journal

Sept. 17, 1975