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8 groups adopt Fairmont parks

FAIRMONT — From the Adopt-A-Park program, to gypsy moth traps to the 2020 budget, the Fairmont Park Board covered a wide range of topics Tuesday.

Troy Nemmers, city engineer/public works director, reported that the addition of Avery Weigh-Tronix brought the number of organizations in the city’s Adopt-A-Park program to eight, with some of the groups doing cleanup in more than one park.

Other groups involved are Building Blocks Day Care, Early Risers Kiwanis, Fairmont Disc Golf Club, Profinium Financial, Rachel Greeley Day Care, Valero Renewables and Craig Nelson.

Nelson, a member of the Park Board, was thanked for his efforts in preparing the flower beds in Lincoln Park for the MOSS Garden Tour on Saturday. For several years, Nelson has planted and cared for the annual and perennial plantings between North North Avenue and the park’s access road. This year, he put 976 plantings in that area.

Nick Lardy, park and street superintendent, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be putting gypsy moth traps in Cedar Creek, Charlotte, Amber Lake, Ward, Lincoln and Gomsrud parks. The tan triangular prism traps measure 5-by-9 inches and are installed periodically to detect the invasive species.

Park crews have been maintaining the mowing of the soccer field and the city’s multiple parks, but they were unable to access certain areas of Cedar Creek Park due to high water levels.

Repairing potholes on Blue Earth Avenue has kept the street crew occupied. Work on that project is expected to be completed today.

The Minnesota DNR has proposed putting fish ladders or rocks below the Amber Lake dam. In order to finish the job, the boat ramp and parking area at the park will need to be closed for a few days.

Although the year is less that half over, city staff is in the early stages of planning for the 2020 budget. Nemmers asked Park Board members to consider priorities for the next budget cycle.

The Lincoln Park shelter house is one project the board has considered in the past, but members need dollar figures before determining whether it would be more cost effective to build new or refurbish the old building with windows, air conditioning, siding and a vertical lift to make it accessible.

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