SYRACUSE — Syracuse Park Board held its regular monthly meeting Monday evening, June 12. The board settled in for an evening of discussions of future plans and upcoming events. The next meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 11.

The board reviewed the financial claims and approved of those proposed with all in favor. Jerry Riffle reported for tree board a few tree removals had taken place, but specifically addressed the unpredictable harm of dead trees as he had encountered some. Dead trees have brittle wood and branches, which could fall at anytime, which is why the policy is to remove them as quickly as possible.

Park Superintendent Chad Jonsson introduced Pat Brown to the board. Brown met with Jonsson to begin developing the schedule for the master plan. The purpose of the plan would be to look at what the parks department wants to do in the next few years, what the projects are and how to maintain what the department already has. Board members were given a tentative timeline to get the master plan in shape.

Brown presented his ideas and approaches to the board by commenting instead of doing a five-year plan, two three-year plans would create more foresight and adaptability. The two three-year plans could easily be updated every year and revisited if something would need to be altered for unexpected emergencies or changes. Along with that idea, a preventative maintenance program may be implemented in the plan so as to keep current resources in check. The living document would be considered a good planning tool and resource for budgeting.

Public input was also an idea Brown proposed. Jonsson agreed and may initiate an online survey for residents to participate in. The survey would give the public an opportunity to be heard. Once the input would be gathered and observed, the plan could be proposed in a public meeting so interested residents would know the play-by-play for each year, allowing them to see future opportunities and potentially help invest to make those opportunities a reality in years to come.

After the presentation, the board briefly discussed the 2018 budget. The only large addition made to the budget was the potential replacement of the restrooms in Lakeside Park. Paul Newcomer commented after observing the old concession stand building, rehabilitating it would cost more than creating new bathrooms as the roof beams are all bad. It was decided it was too late to save the building. Jonsson will have the final budget available to view at the July meeting. The park budgets have been running consistently for the past few years at only using 91 percent of what was budgeted.

Ongoing programs such as judo and pickleball continue on a weekly basis. The artisan and farmers market continues every Saturday along with kids programs, art in the park and the kids market. The summer lunch program began and has seen a great outcome. Lunch will continue to be served Monday through Friday, noon to 12:45 p.m. at Lakeside Park until July 28.

The Mudtastic Classic will be for adults and youth Saturday, June 24, at the WACF Education Center. The goal will be to have 200 runners this year. A few volunteer spots are available for those who would be interested in monitoring the obstacles and ensuring everything runs smoothly.

The Tour des Lakes bike ride will take place Saturday, July 8. Participants can choose between a 25K, 50K and 100K route options. There will also be a Tour des Parks free family ride around the park system that will be 2.5 miles. BMX shows, food vendors and a beer garden featuring local vendors will be available for locals and participants.

The second annual kid Olympics event will be Saturday, Aug. 26. The event will be held at the Harold Shrock Athletic Complex. Registration will open Monday, June 26, for any kids kindergarten through fifth grade who wish to participate. The cost would be $5 per child and the event would give them the opportunity to compete in many different events.

Registration for the town-wide garage sale is now open and no permits would need to be obtained for it. The sale will take place from Aug. 3-5. Anyone interested is encouraged to call or stop by the community center before Thursday, July 27, so they can be included on the list that will run in local newspapers.