The City of Riverside received two Platte County Parks and Recreation Outreach Grants, which were announced last week.
During the board of aldermen meeting Tuesday, March 20, the day prior to the official news of the awards, the city discussed what they planned to do with the money.
Platte County gave the city $25,000 for a fitness court and $7,474 for trail signage.
The proposed plan is to install a World Class Fitness Court, part of the National Fitness Campaign that started in 1979. The court features a workout of seven movements in seven minutes that is made for all fitness levels. Fitness courts are currently in more than 4,000 cities.
A partnership with Fit Radio will help the city offset the cost of a park if the council votes to go ahead with the construction. At the high end, the park would cost $155,000 and between the county grant and the Fit Radio grant, the city cost would be $115,000.
The National Fitness Campaign will help with sponsorship and hold an opening ceremony when the equipment is installed.
The YMCA/Community Center South will partner with the city and provide free classes to help introduce the concept if approved
“That is awesome,” Ward 3 alderman Salvatore LoPorto said. “It is really exciting to see. When I first joined, the trails and parks were a little contentious issue. It is a really good experience for the community. That is what my side of the community is interested in.”
The site for the proposed fitness court is still to be determined.
The other grant received will be go toward signage at Renner Brenner Park, which will add new mileage markers every two-tenths of a mile. That will also help update the locator numbers associated with 911 calls.
Another sign that will be installed is a plaque representing the Platte Purchase Bridge, which will be placed at the site of the old bridge next to the new four-lane span opened in 2016, and will give information about the historic bridge.
In other action
A change order was passed for Houston Excavating for fill dirt.
Clayton Seals was hired as a part-time firefighter. He was a formerly a full-time employee with the city.
State senate candidate Tony Leutkemeyer visited the council meeting on March 6.
Mayor Kathy Rose and Police Chief Chris Skinrood went to Jefferson City this month for Argosy Casino’s gaming license review, which was approved for the next four years.
The Gateway Drive seal repair was finished on time and under budget.
Modifications were made for an industrial bond issued in 2017 to Necco Coffee Co., which included adding a new partner to the 100,000 square feet building at Belgium Boulevard and 43rd Street. The coffee company currently headquartered in Kansas City since 1965 will move to Riverside this summer — and will occupy 60,000 square feet and lease the remaining space.
The city approved the purchase of a new outdoor tornado siren for the Indian Hills subdivision under the budgeted cost of $27,000.