Park Rapids City Council OK with library glow-up

The Park Rapids City Council, on Monday, April 21, voted 5-0 in support of a project to improve the main entrance to the public library.

The decision took place during a work session prior to the council’s regular meeting.

Council approval was necessary because the city owns the building and pays its maintenance and utility costs, said City Administrator Angel Weasner. However, she noted that the improvements themselves will be funded by the Friends of the Park Rapids Area Library.

A handout describing the proposed improvements calls for “a welcoming front entrance to the library complete with green space, flowering trees and plants, and a bike repair station for community use.”

Details include an irrigated grass area with a backflow preventer, new spring snow crabapple trees and a freestanding planter on the State Hwy. 34 side, a new concrete slab with a DERO Hi-Roller bike rack, a bike repair station with an air kit and a sign.

Council members agreed the renovation would bring needed improvements to the area’s appearance.

Weasner agreed to ask the Armory Arts & Events Center what they pay for their irrigation system’s water usage, as an estimate of what the library’s comparable system may cost.

In further work session business, council members voted 5-0 to merge the city’s urban forestry committee into its parks and beautification board.

Weasner said urban forestry has lost two members, affecting the committee’s ability to maintain the city’s Tree City USA designation. She proposed adding urban forestry business to the parks board’s agenda, where only about two decisions a year would be needed. However, she said, this will require amending the city code.

Council members also workshopped options for closing the city-owned, public parking lot for maintenance one day a month at the corner of Pleasant Avenue South and 3rd Street West.

They noted complicating issues, such as the signs closing Main Avenue to on-street parking overnight, which force residents in the neighborhood to park on the city lot. Suggested solutions included clear signage, instructing police officers not to issue parking tickets that day each month, or splitting the parking lot to work on one-half at a time.

Weasner said city staff will work on a solution.