Over the past few years, county parks officials have moved to make improvements to the two parks they run.
A major fundraising effort is raising money to replace inclusive playground equipment at Independence Park, which is located in the Center Grove area.
Arenas at the Johnson County Horse Park in Johnson County Park, on the far southside of the county, have gotten facelifts in an effort to attract more people to the park. And park officials have developed a wish-list for the park, which include more outdoor play areas and camp-ground improvements.
Now, park officials want the public’s input on their five-year plan which includes some of these projects and more at both parks the county runs.
The public meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today at the Trafalgar branch of the Johnson County Public Library.
"We are trying to get as much feedback as we can," said Megan Bowman, Johnson County Parks superintendent.
Johnson County Park is the county’s main park. The 622-acre park in southern Johnson County, near Edinburgh, is home to the Hoosier Horse Park, which is the site of dozens of horse events annually. The park also houses the Nineveh Area Senior Center and some hobby groups, such as the Indiana Live Steamers.
Independence Park is a 13 1/2-acre park in the Center Grove area which features shelter rentals and is home to Indiana’s first accessible playground, which features equipment for children with special needs.
The park’s budget is about $1 million a year, half of which comes from county tax dollars, particularly the food and beverage tax, and the other half is generated by park fees, such as campground and shelter rental fees, Bowman has said.
Park officials have met with people around the county who typically partner with the park on events, such as the library and Aspire Johnson County, to get their input on the plan.
Now, officials want to get the five-year plan certified by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which would make the department eligible for more funding to meet their goals, Bowman said. Getting the plan certified requires getting public input on the plan, she said.
"By doing that, we will be eligible for grant opportunities," Bowman said. “It is adding more information they need to see to make it a certified plan in the eyes of the Department of Natural Resources."
Getting public input on their plans and what they could do to increase parks attendance and possibly bring in more tourism dollars to the county is another reason this meeting will be beneficial, she said.
“That is who we serve. We definitely want their opinion," Bowman said.
The meeting is also meant to be an educational tool, to show people that Johnson County has its own parks system that is independent of city and town park systems, she said.
Also, about 250 people filled out an online survey which included questions about what activities they might be interested in, what might prevent them from using the park’s resources and who they visit with. The survey is available on the park’s website, and will be until Dec. 23.
The survey has allowed park officials to see what people want, which is a valuable resource in deciding how the parks should grow. The online survey also helps collect the opinions of people who do not live in the area, but who may use the park to camp.
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What: Public meeting for input on Johnson County Parks 5-year plan
When: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. today
Where: Trafalgar Public Library, 424 S. Tower St.
Get involved
If you can’t make the meeting but want to provide input, you can take part in a survey. The survey can be found by visiting jocoparks.com, scrolling down and clicking on "TAKE OUR SURVEY." The survey will be available until Dec. 23.
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