MARIETTA - The long-awaited second phase of Marietta's skate park project at Indian Acres Park should be completed by the end of this year, according to legislation approved by Marietta City Council Thursday.
"If this project is not done by Dec. 31 of this year, we'll lose the state grant money," said Councilman Harley Noland, D-at large, who chairs council's lands, buildings and parks committee.
Councilman Tom Vukovic, D-4th Ward, who heads the finance committee, said the city would be reimbursed $34,562 for the project from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant, and council had added another $5,000 to cover any potential contingency expenses.
The project will include a "street course" extension of the skate park from the current concrete skate bowl, installed two years ago, to the parking lot at Indian Acres Park.
The ordinance approved Thursday night will allow the city to advertise for bids and enter into a contract for the work.
Councilman Roger Kalter, D-1st Ward, credited the local Skaters United group for helping obtain additional funding for the project.
"The skateboarders helped raise money for this project. They didn't just sit back and ask for grant funding," he said. "And we hope this will be a great addition to the facilities at Indian Acres Park."
In other business, council approved five pieces of legislation allowing the city to obtain easements across several pieces of property along the Ohio River for a project to reinforce the riverbank and protect a 16-inch city sewer line.
"These easements will allow us to protect our 16-inch sewer main that runs along the river between the I-77 bridge and the wastewater treatment plant," explained Councilman Mike McCauley, D-2nd Ward, and chair of the water, sewer and sanitation committee.
He thanked the property owners for allowing the easements at no charge to the city.
The riverbank reinforcement will be a joint project between the city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Kalter said the total cost of the project would be around $400,000, with the city providing $150,000 and the rest coming from the USACE.
Also on Thursday, council approved two ordinances governing the use of the city's four boat docks. The regulations prohibit fishing and swimming from docking facilities at Indian Acres Park, the Harmar boat docks, and the Marietta Harbor docks.
Fishing, but no swimming, is permitted from the concrete docks located on the Ohio River below the Lafayette Hotel.
The legislation was passed 6-1, with McCauley casting the dissenting vote.
