Land owned by Jefferson City Parks on Bellevue Court is set to be sold to homeowners in the area after a city panel approved the transaction Tuesday.
The property at 1007 Bellevue Ct. is a large parcel that's currently part of Washington Park, Parks Director Todd Spalding said, but the department has never made use of it. Spalding said the sale would net $7,923 and the transaction would be with adjoining property owners.
"As I looked through all of our properties, and as we talked about a few weeks prior, what do we really need, what is not being kept by Parks?" Spalding said. "This seemed like an easy solution."
The motion was approved unanimously by the Parks and Recreation Commission, one of three action items Tuesday evening on the agenda for its monthly meeting.
The second item was a bid for liquid chlorine and muriatic acid, chemicals used to clean public pools. The total bid from Roseville, Minnesota-based Hawkins Inc. amounted to $16,962.50 total -- $7,463.50 in Parks funds for Ellis Porter Riverside Park and $9,962 for Memorial Park Family Aquatic Center.
Spalding noted pool season was already fast approaching.
The commission also voted to renew a cooperative agreement with the Capital City Sailing Association (CCSA). The group works with local sailors of all ages and skill levels and hosts regular events at Binder Lake.
The association and Parks entered into a contract in 2018 for collaborative projects focused on education and promoting the recreational activity. The renewal, which doesn't change the existing agreement, is the fourth annual extension set to sunset at the end of the year.
The agreement states Parks and the association are aligned in their goals of promoting outdoor activities and recreational use of city parks and their assets.
"They're great partners and do great things for us," Spalding said. "It's a great program for our partners and our community."
Commissioners noted the agreement's sunsets were to give the commission the opportunity to opt out if the partnership was not fruitful, but there has been nothing but smooth sailing so far between the two, according to Spalding.
The commission also approved the appointment of member Mary Schantz to the Environmental Quality Commission after she volunteered for the role.
Amy Schroeder, assistant director of arts and outreach for the city, also gave a report on local art and entertainment. She said around 50 people took part last week in a public meeting on the city's cultural arts master plan, an effort to establish guidelines and best practices to enhance the city's artistic and cultural footprint. The plan is expected to be completed in the fall.
She also said tickets are selling fast for events at the Capital Region MU Health Care Amphitheater, including for a recently-scheduled Three Dog Night concert. The long-running rock group is set to perform July 16. Schroeder said sales for all of the concerts announced so far for this season had been selling well.