TROY — The city of Troy’s Board of Park Commissioners and Recreation Board met Tuesday for a quarterly joint meeting.

During the meeting, the park board voted to recommend that Troy City Council approve a grant application to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) for a NatureWorks Grant to construct a parking lot and locking racks on park property at East State Route 41 at the bridge where kayaks and canoes are put in the Miami River. The board also recommended council OK the construction of the lot if the grant was received.

City of Troy Park Superintendent Jeremy Drake said city staff has recognized as they continue to promote connectivity to the river and the bike trails, that they want to formalize the area as an entry point into the river.

“We already recognize that on any given weekend that both sides (of State Route 41) get lined with cars,” Drake said. “Steps already are in place to get kayaks and canoes down to the water, but this parking lot would create a safer environment for them to offload and formalize this point as a put-in.”

A locking rack in the lot would then allow users to secure their kayak or canoe while they take their vehicle further downstream for after their trip, Drake said.

If approved, the $25,000 grant would be available to begin construction in spring 2022 with 25 percent matching funds from the city. The total cost of the project is estimated at $38,000.

The board also awarded a contract for the rough mowing at Miami Shores Golf Course to Fallview Mowing, the only bidder, for $800 per mowing, or approximately $48,000 per year.

Drake said the “Hexagon Extreme Functional Fitness” structure, purchased with a $25,000 Pella Corp. grant, will be installed in the area near park shelter No. 1 as soon as the concrete pad is poured in the coming weeks.

Drake said he has met with one farmer about the possible lease of the former Huelskamp Farm, which is now open for public bid until April 13. Drake said the Miami County Park District’s project on the property is almost complete and will benefit residents with wildlife viewing.

City of Troy Director of Recreation Ken Siler said his staff continues to work with the health department on a daily basis to plan upcoming events, which have been modified significantly, with a lower number of people in attendance at any given time and possibly stretched out over longer periods of time.

Siler said staff also have been planning for upcoming graduation events.

“That’s what’s taking a lot of time right now, is planning for these graduation events with each of the schools and how many graduates we can accommodate, along with how many guests they are going to be permitted to have in attendance for each of their ceremonies.”

Siler said they also are working on getting the Troy Aquatic Park prepared and staff trained for opening on Memorial Day weekend.

“We know there will be some modifications to that operation, but they won’t be nearly as significant as they were last season,” Siler said.

Miami Shores Golf Course Director of Golf Kyler Booher said the course did more rounds in March than any other March in the three years he has been director.

“It’s been a great start to the year. A fast start,” Booher said.

Booher addressed an ongoing discussion about the equipment that remains outside at the course, around $50,000-$60,000 worth, and its aesthetic appearance, which has been questioned by residents and visitors to the course. Booher said the bigger issue is what happens to the equipment that is exposed.

“With what’s sitting outside with that equipment, the life span gets shortened quite a bit by the fact that it’s subject to the elements,” said Booher, who said there are storage issues beyond that for other items, including pro shop merchandise and restaurant supplies.

Board members asked Booher to begin looking into what the possibilities are of adding more storage on the property and how much it would cost.

A concert on Prouty Plaza was also added to the summer’s line-up. The June 18 concert, sponsored by the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center, will kick off the Sculptures on the Square. Entertainment will be provided by Amber Harvey and the Who’s Who.