Committee meets to discuss parks bond

Wednesday night, South Bend residents were given their final chance to tell the council how they want $5.68 million spent on city parks.

Phil Sinclair, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, presented a list of what his department feels need to be fixed and also what the community thinks needs be fixed.

That list totaled to about $35 million.

“I by no means expect to accomplish everything on this list,” says Sinclair. “We'd probably be lucky if we do a fraction.”

Committee Chairperson Gavin Ferlic says breaking down that long list into what can feasibly be done with the $5.68 Million will be hard.

“Clearly we're not going to be able to address every single one of those issues,” says Ferlic.

Ferlic says his priority will be deferred maintenance projects, meaning keeping up already existing parks.

He says he's excited to have received such a large response from the community.

“It's not what Gavin Ferlic wants. It's not what any other council member wants. It's what the residents want that is the priority,” says Ferlic.

The full Common Council will meet on March 16th with that they believe are to be the biggest priorities.

That's the night the final list of what will be done with that $5.68 million bond will be announced.