Park commissioners voted 2-0 — with Commission Greg Amend absent — to extend the “reserved” status for Gilmore Ponds Interpretative Preserve, Woodsdale Regional Park, Antenen Nature Preserve and the Upper Indian Creek Preserve, which have been closed to daily use since last fall.
The proposal approved Tuesday will keep the Pioneer Church and burial grounds open because MetroParks is obligated to mow and secure those areas.
“These are tough decisions,” said MetroParks Executive Director Jonathan Granville. “The low-hanging fruit has been harvested. Now we get into the discussion of making some harder decisions.”
The board also approved a new mowing contract that is expected to save them more than $34,000.
Savings were achieved because the bid called for caring for 60 fewer acres than in years past and a highly competitive landscaping market, Granville said, adding the agency received bids from 18 companies before choosing the lowest and best bids.
Park commissioners agreed last month to move forward with polling area residents in advance of a levy anticipated for sometime this year.
The agency is one of the only public parks organizations in Ohio to operate without a levy for parks or conservation efforts.
As of Nov. 1, just 10 of the park systems 23 total areas remain open daily. Additional steps are on the horizon, too, if financial hardships continue, Granville said.
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