Program Director Darin Lursen, left, shares information about upcoming events while board member Paul Newcomer listens. Photo by Sarah Wright.

For its last meeting of 2019, Monday, Dec. 9, the Syracuse Parks and Recreation Board looked ahead to 2020 projects while also wrapping up a few year-end matters.

The parking lot curbing/lighting project will occur in spring 2020. Pulver Construction estimates it will take three to four days to finish the curbing. The parks department should hear back from the Harkless Foundation on whether the project will receive a grant soon.

Park superintendent Chad Jonsson noted 2019’s surplus health insurance funds can be turned into a purchase order to be put toward this project or toward redoing the Syracuse Community Center’s bathroom, fixing the ventilation in the arts and craft room or replacing carpet in the parks department’s offices.

The contract for Laudeman Park’s wildflower beds on its outside edge has been signed with Heartland Restoration Services. The company will begin the process this spring.

As far as the Ward Park playground, the K21 Foundation, which is offering funds for such projects, wants them to be town-driven functions. So the parks department will be working more closely with the town.

“We are continuing with the playground idea,” Jonsson said, “but may be able to add more things than that.”

Some of the other ideas have included redoing the boardwalk and adding a kayak launch at Ward Park.

“We’re still working on kind of both, and moving forward with the town on this — on what we might want to apply for as a community,” Jonsson said.

Other projects the parks department is working toward included ventilation for the community center’s arts and craft room and updating its bathrooms. The latter might require more construction than originally thought due to the way the toilets are mounted and the block walls.

Also, noted as future projects were the potential addition of storage to the maintenance building and new carpeting in the parks department’s offices. The department is also going to buy new swim ropes and buoys as the current ones are showing their age.

In other park matters:

• Park board meeting dates for 2020 were approved.

• Board members voted to recommend outgoing board members Jeff Nicodemus and David Johnston be reappointed by the respective boards they represent: the Syracuse Town Council and Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Library Board.

• The park board also approved the parks department’s non-reverting operating budget. It will be the same amount as 2019, $39,500.

• Specs for a new mower have been sent to six local companies, four of which have responded. The deadline for bids is before the park board’s next meeting, which is Jan. 13.

• Recent parks department events Holiday Magic, free family movies, Pinterest parties and Breakfast with Santa saw good turnouts. The department has also received numerous Santa letters.

• Registration for the March indoor garage sale begins Jan. 8. In the past, it has quickly sold out.