PRIEST RIVER — A $30,000 request to improve the safety and aesthetics of the playground at City Park was made by Daisy Schmeider, a Priest River resident and advocate for child social and emotional development. Schmieder presented options for financing the project at the July 6 meeting.

The proposed playground budget is $89,400, however, Schmeider plans on raising $60,000 for surfacing and the large playground structure through community fundraising and grant opportunities.

“The grocery store will put donation jars in their store. We have a local mom who teaches painting classes and she will donate the project to the city. The Kalispel Tribe is another possible place to get a donation,” Schmeider said. “I have talked to many people and they are more than happy to help. We just need time, we need money.”

Little Tikes, an American-based child toy manufacturer, has also offered a 20-percent discount for the budgeted expenses — a maypole, rail rider, spinner, arch swings with belts and harnesses and the Dragonfly, a toy similar to a teeter-totter. Schneider and Little Tikes have been collaborating on the project design since March to develop a functional and practical environment for all families to enjoy Priest River’s outdoor facilities.

The current design includes generation seating, where parents can swing with their toddlers, an obstacle course for older children, and ADA compliant structures. According to Schmeider’s consultants, the old structure was not ADA compliant and some of the equipment was aging and unsafe for use.

“We are all aware of the current condition of the playground and how little of use it gets,” Schmeider said in the May 21 documented proposal. “It will be a great impact on our little community to have a family-oriented park, where parents and their children feel safe and entertained.”

Despite the city’s support for the proposed playground improvements, Mayor Jim Martin said it would be a difficult expense to justify, considering the city’s financial loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Without budgeting that $30,000, we have to cut probably $15,000 of the budget,” Martin said. “To include this (proposal request) would be $45,000 that would be cut from other areas.”

That’s why it is going to have to be grant funded or community funded,” he said. “I am not saying that we don’t need improvements there because I see it … We don’t have the budget for $90,000.”

Martin said the next step is to receive legal guidance on requesting and receiving donations for city projects, specifically through GoFundMe. Schmeider proposed this platform to reach her fundraising goal for the playground project, a platform she feels is an efficient and easily accessible for community donors.

He also recommended the project encompass improvements for both the playground and the park, in order to appeal to more grant opportunities.

“If we are able to raise funds for the playground, we can use the grant money for the park itself,” Schmeider said. “I am very confident the community is going to donate.”

In addition to starting a GoFundMe account, Schmeider and her husband plan to build a playhouse for the toddler area and a sign for the playground as well. She wants to name the playground “Timber Land” and the sign will be built out of wood with moose and bear footprints along the edges.

“I am fully invested in making this happen and I will put in the time needed to help,” Schmeider said.

If the city applies with Kaboom and spends at least $9,000 on playground equipment, the city will be eligible for a $15,000 grant to support the project.

Buying all products from Little Tikes at once could also lower the budget, Schmeider told the council.

City council will continue to follow up on the playground project and will consider approving Schmeider’s plan once all funding plans are detailed and cleared by the city’s legal counsel.

Aly De Angelus can be reached by email at adeangelus@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @AlyDailyBee.