Butler County commissioners hear first of $97 million worth of pitches for federal rescue funds

The project would fill the gap that exists on the Great Miami Trail between Hamilton and Middletown. Latham said the completed trail would not only provide healthy recreational opportunities but spur economic development in communities along the way, much like the bike path has in downtown Loveland in Clermont County.

The original ask from MetroParks was $13 million for the trail, scenic overlooks in rural parks and about $250,000 to recoup dollars lost during the pandemic. Latham said they only need about $4.5 million to complete the trail and $5 million for rural park project. Grants are likely available to make up the difference.

The overlook project will provide about $500,000 worth of improvements per park — plus design costs — for things like paths, parking and in some cases restrooms at the nine existing park properties in the western part of the county, “This is a one-time opportunity to give the assets the eastern side of the county has to everyone who lives in this county,” MetroParks Executive Director Jonathan Granville said.

Commissioner T.C. Rogers said that proposal is a bit vague, when they started this process one of his priorities was whether an applicant has a concrete financial plan, “to my ears you just pulled a figure out of the air.”

“You said you have these nine parks and $500,000 for each one, that just sounded arbitrary,” Rogers said. “I’m a builder and I haven’t had a client come to me yet and say here’s a check for several hundred thousand dollars, build me something nice.”

Granville told him since they are in the very early stages they don’t have definitive cost breakdowns.

“I don’t have all those details but I will tell you MetroParks has a long history of not spending more than it needs to spend on any particular project,” Granville said. “In fact if we don’t need all these dollars, we’re going to tell you and they can be released for some other project.”

The commissioners’ office received about 13 formal proposals including the MetroParks requests. Commissioner Cindy Carpenter has been canvassing the county collecting ideas for other ways to the spend the extraordinary one-time money.

Dan Foley, Great Miami Riverway Director for the Miami Conservancy District, presented what they shared with Carpenter, to modify one of the dangerous low head river dams in Hamilton and the proposed Hamilton Ponds waterfront park development.

He estimates it will cost about $6.5 million to modify one of two low head dams that have been described by first responders to accidents as “a perfectly engineered self operated drowning machine.” They want to remove it to make it safe for canoeists and other water enthusiasts.

The other project is an estimated $4 million project to create a passive park — they are seeking $3 million in ARPA funds —on the east side of the Great Miami River north of the Hamilton Water Reclaimation Plant adjacent to Officer Bob Gentry Park.

Foley said the park would include a boardwalk, a deck over the ponds, shade trees and paths.

“The criteria we believe it fits under ARPA funding is aid to travel, tourism and hospitality and other public health services,” Foley said. “This is a project we think that for a fair amount of money could lend itself to have 108 acres that could be in the public use and strengthen quality of life in Hamilton.”

The commissioners will hold another work session next week to hear about more funding requests.

Butler County requests for American Rescue Plan funds

The Butler County commissioners have $74.5 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to share, these are some of the proposals entites have submitted so far.

* Indicates Commissioner Cindy Carpenter has also proposed these projects but with some different funding levels.

Source: Butler County