At the regular meeting of the Berthoud Board of Trustees on Tuesday evening, the board heard presentations on updated design concepts for Town Park and somewhat associated plans to potentially install pickleball courts at Waggener Farm Park, approved funding for a summer youth carnival and listened to a detailed presentation from Mayor Pro Tem Maureen Dower regarding metro districts.

To open the meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve the appropriation of $30,000 to hold a summer carnival July 29-30 at Waggener Farm Park. The event, named the “Summer Scorch Fest” was the brainchild of the Berthoud Youth Advisory Commission (BYAC).

The BYAC, at the board meeting on Dec. 17, 2021, informed the board that they had commissioned a series of surveys and other information-gathering endeavors to gauge the level of interest among Berthoud youth in various town events.

Based upon the feedback, the BYAC learned that a large portion of Berthoud youth do not attend traditional town events, such as Berthoud Days, Berthoud Oktoberfest, the July firework event, among others, in large numbers as they feel such festivities are catered more towards adults and young children.

The BYAC thus proposed to the board the plan for the Summer Scorch Fest where the town with contract with Airbound Interactive Activities, which will provide several attractions of “extreme interactive entertainment and fun,” along with some lawn games and food trucks, to the festival that will appeal to middle school to high school-aged Berthoud residents.

The BYAC board who presented the plans to the board said, “everyone is welcome to come to the event,” and will need volunteers to assist in various ways. Trustees applauded the BYAC members who addressed the board with Trustee Lonnie Stevens saying, “I think this is fantastic, I think you guys are phenomenal.”

Town Administrator Chris Kirk said the $30,000 price tag for the event is within the budget, some of which will be funded through the town’s recreational marijuana tax revenue, and added, “I think you can put on a nice event for this price … I think you can do a lot for this price.”

Following the approval, the board went into a nearly hour-long executive session, closed to the public, whereby the board completed the annual performance review of Kirk. Upon resuming the public portion of the meeting, the board listened as Deputy Town Administrator Jeremy Olinger presented the two design concepts for the Town Park redevelopment.

The most recent design concept were initially presented to the board on Jan. 11 and the board requested town staff present options for the western side of the park and to develop plans for additional pickleball court space in town. According to the information provided to the board, “Staff has worked with OLC park consultants on providing alternatives to the east side of the park … these options have been reviewed by the Parks, Open Space, Recreation and Trails (PORT) Committee and are acceptable alternatives. Staff has worked with WENK consulting on a future design plan for pickleball courts to be removed from Town Park due to noise and location restraints to have additional courts for play. The court design is attached as well with costs estimates for discussion.”

As earlier reported by the Surveyor, the town will conduct the renovation of Town Park in two phases, the western side being completed first and the eastern portion subsequently. The town needs the current ballfield space on the eastern half of Town Park for recreation programming until the Richardson Park development, located due west of North Berthoud Parkway adjacent to Loveland Reservoir, which will include substantial ballfield space, is completed.

The trustees expressed support for what was referred to as design concept B, one which has a lighted but dark sky compliant volleyball court on the southwestern corner of the park, with the other amenities such as a large pavilion area with a firepit, open lawn area, a landscape buffer on the edges to provide privacy for residents whose yards border the park.

Olinger then presented concept plans to build up to eight pickleball courts at the Waggener Farm Park property near the new rec center. The plan calls for the courts to be built south of the current outdoor basketball court and due east of the gravel parking lot at a cost estimate of $625,000. While Olinger’s presentation outlined other pickleball court space that exists already or is planned throughout town including at the rec center and neighborhoods such as Fickel Farm, The Trails at Creekview, Prairie Star and Pioneer Park but also acknowledged pickleball is “a highly popular sport in Berthoud … so (town staff) came up with an eight-court design, two competitive courts, recreational courts and an ADA court.” The board appeared largely supportive of the plan yet no action was taken at the meeting.

Lastly, the board listened as Dower gave a presentation on metro districts and how such developments fit in the town of Berthoud. The presentation was lengthy and informative but too detailed to outline in this space. Residents interested in hearing the presentation are encouraged to watch the board meeting on the town’s YouTube channel. Following the presentation, the board decided to delve further into the complexities of metro districts in a study session that will be conducted in the future. No action was taken on the measure, the presentation was information only.

The next meeting of the Berthoud Board of Trustees will take place on March 22.