Parks board gives update on Goggins Lane project, budget

Jun. 9—At their June 7 meeting, the Richmond Parks Board gave an update on the Goggins Lane park project and heard an impassioned pitch from lacrosse coaches.

The meeting opened with a budget update.

"The financial statement included the amended budget that was passed at the commission meeting a few weeks ago. Monies spent in May and June include pool repairs, projects, programs, and general maintenance. The financial report shows that approximately 60% of the budget has been spent, but there are still expenditures that need to be logged into the system. The biggest months for spending are May and June for Parks and Recreation," Richmond Parks and Recreation Director Erin Moore said in a statement to the Register. "We do not expect to spend all of the part time staff salaries, because we did not have all of our programs in 2021 due to COVID. However, when we allocate money for the budget we plan for half of one summer and the spring of the next year because our fiscal year is from July-June."

There has been a slight delay on hiring for some seasonal parks department employees. As many of them are new applicants, it has taken longer to get all their hiring paperwork completed. A new system has also slowed things down some.

"We have a lot of new applicants or new employees that are not familiar with the system. They don't understand that they have paperwork that they have to return in a timely manner, because we don't just operate very quickly — it's a process and there's lots of people that have been hired," Parks and Recreation Director Erin Moore explained. "We probably have the most seasonal workers right now, between 40 and 60 depending on what we're hiring for."

She noted hiring will be quicker the next time around if these new hires return next season. Background checks for summer camp employees has been a roadblock, as those seasonal employees must have that step completed before they can work around kids. Moore said COVID-19 has slowed down the process for background checks.

Regarding the Armory Park project, Moore said she believes the city commission will approve the project by the end of June. As of now, the much-discussed skate plaza is still a part of the park.

On Monday, Moore made a trip to Elizabethtown to visit the city's sports park. That park has proven to be an inspiration for the Goggins Lane project due to a similar lay of the land in both parks. She also brought up Masterson Station Park in Lexington as another inspiration — with a series of tiers holding sections of the park to work around the terrain.

According to Moore, the powerlines in the area are playing the biggest role in the layout of the facility. As moving those lines would be an expensive and time consuming process, Moore said the plan is to work around the powerlines.

Areas for food trucks, vendors, electrical boxes, and office buildings were also discussed. Moore said the intent, as of now, is for the parks staff to move to and operate out of Goggins Park once it is completed.

Due to the price of gas, the parks department is expecting Paradise Cove to get a lot of attention this summer. Opening on Memorial Day weekend, attendance numbers spiked with each day — 200 came on Saturday, 917 came on Sunday, and 1,902 visited on Monday. Including the number of people that came to the park in the days that followed, Paradise Cove saw roughly 5,700 visitors in its opening week.

The meeting closed with Wesley Browne, a coach with the Madison County Lacrosse Association, making a plea to the Parks Board to consider the sport in their upcoming projects. He noted it the association nearly has enough teams in the state to officially be picked up by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA).

Starting in 2015, the program currently has teams in both middle and high schools in the area. There are boys and girls teams.

"Lacrosse is a growing sport. When I say it is a growing sport, it is the fastest growing team sport in North America and in the U.S.," Browne said. "We are finally on the verge of being sanctioned by the KHSAA... Lacrosse is coming no matter what. With the Goggins Lane Park and everything, we just want to get out in front of it and say, 'Probably need to earmark some space for lacrosse.' That doesn't mean more space. What that means, in my mind ,is fields that can also be used by lacrosse."

Lacrosse can be played on football or soccer fields. Browne said that universal lacrosse markings can be installed on fields while they are being constructed.

Other business:

—Sign up for the fall league of youth sports is happening now, with soccer, baseball, and football being available.

—On Thursday, June 9, at 6 p.m., the Richmond Police Department is collaborating with Parks to hold a women's handgun familiarity class as part of the Women's Wilderness Series. There is a $25 fee. To sign up, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4daaa723abf8ce9-womens2.

—Friday, June 10, will see the kick off of Movies in the Park, with "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" being shown at dark. Dreaming Creek Brewery, Chenault Vineyards, and the Smoked Food Truck will be bringing refreshments.

—Parks and Recreation's 4th of July celebration will include 18 food vendors, with 15 at the Soccer Camp and three by the boat docks. Several bands are lined up to perform, with fireworks kicking off at 10 p.m.