The Trenton Park Board December 7th approved the purchase of mowers and decided to pledge money for an American Rescue Plan Act grant opportunity for tourism.
Two Dixie Chopper XCaliber mowers will be purchased from Legendary Small Engine for $14,003 each, or $28,006 total. Each mower will have a 74-inch deck and a Kawasaki 35-horsepower engine. They will have a three-year unlimited bumper-to-bumper warranty.
There were bids from two companies. Legendary Small Engine also submitted bids for Dixie Chopper XCalibers that had a Vanguard 40-horsepower engine and Dixie Chopper Eagle HPs with 72-inch decks and two types of engines. Fries Ag and Turf, LLC submitted bids for 72-inch deck mowers that included Hustler Excel Super Zs with two engine types and Hustler Excel Super Z Hyper Drives with two engine types. The prices were similar for the Hustlers and Dixie Choppers.
Park Superintendent David Shockley noted Legendary Small Engine’s bid included a first “break in service” and 2023 basic seasonal service. It also included pickup and delivery on machines, labor, and parts to perform the services. Trenton will receive a 33% discount on all parts, labor, and equipment from Legendary Small Engine. Each XCaliber would have a retail cost of about $20,000.
Shockley said the Park Department currently has XCalibers, and he preferred to stay with the same type of mower. The new mowers would be similar to what the department currently has. He noted he has had good luck with the current mowers, and they have been reliable. They are going on six years old. The Park Department has parts on hand for XCalibers.
Park Board President Curtis Crawford said the Park Department would likely auction the current mowers on Purple Wave. Shockley said he thought the Park Department could almost pay for one of the new mowers by selling the current mowers.
The Park Board voted to budget $2,500 towards an ARPA grant match over two years if the grant application is approved for the City of Trenton. That would be $1,250 for each of the two years. If the grant application is not approved, the Park Board will revisit the matter. The grant is for tourism and involves the purchase of wayfinding or directional, signs that would help visitors get to amenities in Trenton that may be difficult to find.
Scott Sharp with NCMDA reported the city of Trenton plans to apply for the grant, which has a minimum request amount of $250,000. NCMDA has to raise half of that for a match, and it currently has $100,000 for the match.
Sharp said the development alliance has received pledges from the Trenton Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Hoover Foundation, Saint Luke’s Health System, and Wright Memorial Hospital. NCMDA hopes to receive pledges from Main Street Trenton and the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce. Sharp noted in-kind donations would also be accepted.
He said he and Jackie Soptic determined there should be 30 signs in the community. The estimated cost for all of those five-by-eight signs is $150,000. He reported he asked for estimates from multiple companies, but only one replied.
The grant money would also be used for two murals Downtown, updated flower pots Downtown, the Tom Brown log cabin near Rissler Elementary School, and composite tables for the Missouri Day Festival. The total cost of the project is estimated at $375,000. Sharp said that with the $250,000 of grant money and the $125,000 match, Trenton would have enough to fund the project.
If the grant is received, the project would go out for public bid. If the group did not get the grant, it would talk to entities that have already pledged money.
The grant application is due by December 14th. If the grant is received, the money would have to be allocated by 2025 and spent by 2026.
Park Board Member Mary Peterson Peterson reported the foundation has been poured for the Rock Barn sign. Crawford said the work on the sign is expected to be done by the spring.
Park Board Member John Hamilton reported two trees near the World War 1 Memorial had been taken down. Shockley said the Park Department had marked six trees total for removal throughout the park system. Four trees have been removed so far, and the Park Department has been cleaning up the areas of branches and debris. Stump removal is planned for the spring.
Shockley reported the Park Department has started to trim the bushes behind the maintenance shop to the ground in hopes of having good growth and better maintenance of them in the future.
The department cleaned up leaves and debris that piled up on the south wall at Five Points. The clean-up was to prepare for the Christmas event Downtown.
Shockley said things have been winterized, including bathrooms. Irrigation and electricity have been turned off in areas not used during the winter.
The Park Department is working on the shelter houses at Moberly Park by finishing the trim and gable ends.
