The City of Salem Parks and Recreation Board held a meeting Thursday, Oct. 3, for the purposes of a budget adjustment for the 2024-25 fiscal year. A budget adjustment, for the purposes of ensuring longevity of upgrades, were requested to accommodate quotes for window and door upgrades that exceed the current budget for the Al Brown concession stand. In attendance were board members Carlos Lopez, Luke Heithold, Crystal Pilkington, and Kristy Rushing.
The Al Brown concession had been allocated $9,000 from the Parks Capital Improvements Budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The building has been serving as storage space for over a decade but is now being transformed back into a functional concession area.
Melissa DuBois, Parks and Recreation director, reported that several upgrades have been completed so far for the concession stand, including:
• Power washing and painting the walls
• Power washing and applying epoxy to the floors
• Upgrading electrical outlets, breakers, and wiring
• Installing a ceiling fan and new lighting
• Adding new storage, counters, and sink
• Purchasing a drink cooler, standing deep freezer, popcorn popper, two microwaves, and a crock pot
So far, the improvements have made the space operational as a concession stand; however, the concession stand windows, and two doors still need upgraded. The budget for the window upgrade was originally set at $2,300; the best quote received was $4,723.50, plus shipping, for three manually retractable security shutter doors. This exceeds the current budget. The two doors that have sustained damage still need to be replaced, as well, to enhance security. In addition, there is a proposal for repainting the exterior of Al Brown concession, restrooms, and storage area to improve aesthetics and durability.
DuBois presented the board with two options for 2024-25 Parks and Recreation budget adjustment:
• transferring $8,500 from the prior year’s fund balance to the Parks Capital Improvements to complete upgrades
• transferring $8,500 from the funding allocated for purchasing Al Brown bleachers to complete the upgrades
After some discussion regarding the bleachers, the board approved the motion to transfer $8,500 from the prior year’s fund balance to the Parks Capital Improvements to complete upgrades, with a vote of 4-0.
