The Holmes County Park District directors role has expanded to liaison and grant writer for the Rails to Trails Coalition.
Park Director Jen Halverson will take over duties formerly performed by Joan Miller, who served the district and coalition for 11 years as trail coordinator. Under Miller, $8.5 million in grants were secured to complete 11 miles of trail.
About 15 miles of trail remain to be completed.
Miller announced she was leaving her salaried position with the park district June of last year, and offered her services to the district on a contractual basis. Park board president Dan Mathie said negotiations were initiated but never went beyond looking at options.
After we had a chance to look at it, we kind of saw (Miller) and the park district going in different directions, Mathie said.
Halverson said it is too early to determine exactly how much the new duties will change the park directors position. A part time employee has been hired to help with office work and registration for park programs, Halverson said.
Its sort of a learning curve were on right now, Halverson said. Im still park director, but Ill be more closely involved with the trail.
Miller worked on a contract basis for the park district shortly after she left to write a grant to purchase the Holmes County Fairgrounds. The $564,000 Ohio Public Works Commission grant was awarded in November.
Among the final grants secured by Miller was $700,000 to complete a planning study that will provide a blueprint for the final phases of construction. The completed trail currently runs from Killbuck north to Fredericksburg. When completed, the trail will run southwest through Glenmont down to the Holmes/Knox county line at Brinkhaven.
Halverson said the trail project is moving forward, thanks in part to a smooth transition affected with Millers input.
We anticipate we will keep moving forward, even though theres not a lot youre actually going to be able see, Halverson said. Theres a lot you have to do before you break ground.
Mathie said the parting with Miller was amicable and credited her past efforts in getting the project going.
Take a look at how far weve come, Mathie said. The grants (Miller) got us in the past, the path to others in the future. She was instrumental in getting that all done.
