FOND DU LAC — Fond du Lac County is looking to spend some of its remaining $11.5 million in America Rescue Plan funds on improving county parks.
“The park system itself, you know, part of what we try and do for recruitment to get people to come in in the county for employment and to live hopefully,” County Executive Sam Kaufman said. “We have to be able to provide things for them to do. And our younger generation now, especially, is very health conscious, and they're looking for outdoor recreations.”
Three parks on the drawing board are Hobbs Woods, Shaganappi Park, Wild Goose Trail, and Veteran’s park.
The portion of Wild Goose trail in Fond du Lac county is now only for walkers and bikers, but could soon be a trial for ATVs or horseback riding.
But bikers like Jeffrey Miller who use the trails said the trials would need improvements before ATVs or horses can share the roads.
“You'd have to make them a lot wider,” Miller said. “And a bike goes 8,10, 12 miles an hour, and ATV goes a lot more than that. So they kind of have to reconstruct the trails a little bit.”
Improvements to Shaganappi Park will include renovations to a boy scout lodge used by a local troop.
“It's a wonderful facility and in wonderful grounds and area, beautiful, mature forest, old girls forest, a great waterfront sandbar,” Scout Master Paul Kaestner said.
Once the lodge is renovated, the area could be used for outdoor weddings or other events, Kaufman said.
Kaufman said he wants input from veterans before making modifications to Veterans Park.
The county's $11.5 million is down from an initial $20 million, which was used on the Boys & Girls Club, the St. Vincent DePaul homeless shelter, and other social programs.
All funds must be allotted by 2024 and spent by 2026.
