Those willing to donate towards the improvement projects at Water Ridge and Bill Brecht Memorial parks will now be able to receive a charitable tax receipt from the city. “This will enable the . . .
“We need to push forward and show some appreciation as well for these people who have been working hard to fundraise to [develop] great spaces outdoors for our families and children to play safely and happily,” said Michael Behiel, Humboldt’s mayor, during the April 26 council meeting. “I am personally behind the whole concept and support it.” The matching program is part of a park enhancement development policy created in 2016 aimed at streamlining the process for cost-sharing park enhancements within the community. It follows the example of Carl Schenn Park’s redevelopment. “We believe this will be an asset to our community as Water Ridge Park is used by the entire community and many surrounding communities,” said Breanna Landry, the president of the committee, in a letter to council formally asking the city to commit to contribute matching funds.
“Now that I have a little one – I m on mat leave – a bunch of us young moms have been walking through that park and I had brought it up a few different times, so then we just decided to take the idea to the city and see if they d be open for a new structure there.” That was in August. The city was open to the idea. “We re working closely with them,” said Michael Ulriksen, the city’s leisure services director. “They re going to start doing the fundraising and we ll just work back and forth with them on the concept plan and the actual installation and development of that.”