Lions Park expansion, planning for road improvements in 2025 Royal City budget
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 2 months AGO
A car show was among the attractions in Lions Park during the 2024 Summerfest. Money for expanding the park is part of the 2025 Royal City budget.
FILE PHOTO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | January 7, 2025 1:05 AM
ROYAL CITY — Royal City will spend some of its reserves to expand Lions Park and will be working on designing improvements to Apple Avenue Northeast. Royal City City Council members approved the city’s 2025 budget in December.
The city’s current expense fund is budgeted at about $2 million. It’s projected to end 2025 with about $1.9 million, a decrease from $2.2 million at the end of 2024. Janice Flynn, the city’s finance director, said the city will use part of the money for Lions Park improvements. The park is located on Camelia Street.
“We’re spending some of our funds,” Flynn said.
The city purchased property adjacent to the existing Lions Park a few years ago with the goal of expanding the park. Royal City received a grant to build a soccer field, Flynn said, but will have to spend some of its own money to develop the rest of the park.
Flynn said the city would spend about $150,000 of its money for the park.
“We’ll be expanding and adding to (the park),” she said.
In addition, a bigger park will require more maintenance, she said, which will be a continuing expense.
“We’re hoping to start this spring,” Flynn said. “We’ve already started some design work.”
The city also will spend $10,000 for work on a comprehensive plan update.
The street construction fund was budgeted at about $536,100, which is a grant to start design and engineering for improvements to Apple Avenue Northeast. Construction on the first phase is scheduled for 2026; the first phase will cover about half the project, Flynn said.
The final phase of the project to replace some of the city’s water mains is scheduled for 2025, and the city received about $303,600 to pay for it.
The water system operation fund is projected at about $963,400, and the sewer fund at about $615,300. The water capital improvement fund includes money for replacing water meters and is projected at about $115,000.
City officials are planning to build a new well and have applied for $250,000 in funding to help pay for pre-construction costs. The city hasn’t received an answer yet, Flynn said, but built capacity into the budget in case the city received it.
The garbage fund was budgeted at about $539,600.
Council members also approved a 2.8% pay increase for city employees.
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