Making Manteca safer isn’t the only idea that council members are considering when it comes to spending $2.5 million in federal COVID relief funds.

Mayor Gary Singh, for example, is looking at:

*a concession stand at Woodward Park.

*upgrading the water play feature at Library Park or building a new one elsewhere..

* a cricket field at a neighborhood park.

*converting Wilson Park behind the post office into a dog park.

*a playground designed specifically for autistic kids.

Singh, as mayor, was assigned $700,000 for at-large projects. Each council member will each decide how to spend $450,000 among the $1.8 million assigned to the four districts.

The one-time expenditures can be within their district. Members can also combine funds to underwrite endeavors that will have a citywide impact.

Councilman Charlie Halford favors using part of funds assigned to him to help pay for license plate readers.

He is hoping other council members chip into the effort that ideally would place such readers at all major entrances to the city, primarily near freeway interchanges.

Halford, as well as other council members, are exploring non-public safety expenditures that are more quality-of-life concerns such as help for the animal shelter.

Downtown dog park on

list of 2 council members

Councilman Dave Breitenbucher on Thursday indicated a downtown dog park is one item that he is seriously considering dedicating a portion of his $450,000 share to as well as renovations at the existing  dog park at the Civic Center.

Breitenbucher noted the existing fence separating the small and large dog areas at the city dog park is too low. As such, big dogs routinely jump over it.

Breitenbucher likes the proposal City Manager Toni Lundgren has to convert the existing Wilson Park  — which is in his council district — into a dog park.

The park is located directly behind the post office and across from the library.

“It’s a two-for,” Breitenbucher said.

Not only would it spur traffic downtown and serve as a recreation amenity for the central district but it would displace the homeless that use it as a daytime hang out.

For the better of two decades, the homeless have been essentially the exclusive users of Wilson Park except when it serves as a beer garden/seating area for the Pumpkin Fair and Crossroads Street fair.

Lundgren believes dog park amenities can be added in such a manner that the park could still be used for the street events.

The location already has trees that are more than 50 years old that completely shade the grounds.

Breitenbucher, who volunteers several times a month to assist with homeless outreach, doesn’t view it as picking on the homeless as the city is offering them an area they can hang out at.

Singh is considering some of his funds for the Wilson Park conversion to a dog park for the same reasons cited by Breitenbucher.

Breitenbucher also tossed out the possibility that council members might want to fund a dog park for Woodward Park as there is no existing  dog park south of the 120 Bypass.

Tough to address big

ticket items with funds

Halford, who would like to see something done with the funds to improve streets, noted that it would be difficult to do so with the one-time money.

Tha’s because street work of any consequence would easily swallow up the entire $2.5 million.

Council members hope that the money will be able to get a lot of “little projects” that have gone to the wayside in recent years due to money constraints that —  if they’re funded — will have a positive impact on the quality of life in the city.

“Years ago, $450,000 was a lot more money,” Breitenbucher said. “(Today) it doesn’t really cover much.”

As an example, a new fire engine costs $1,1 million.

The city does have funding strategies in place to fund most major equipment replacement.

More detail on Singh’s’

possible ‘earmarks’

The water feature that the city spent $450,000 installing a decade ago at Library Park is no longer used.

That’s because the city at the time to save money left off a recycling component that allowed the water being used to be treated and reused.

As such, when the water play feature is operating water goes directly into the storm drain or sewer system. State water conservation rules now in place prohibit such a practice

Water play features in Ripon and Lathrop that are popular with children and young  families recycle water.

A concession stand was part of the Woodward Park master plan but never built. Most weekends the park is heavily used for league and tournament soccer play.

The $2.5 million is part of $8.6 million in federal COVID relief funds that Manteca will be spending — or committing to a viable project that will be completed within a reasonable time  before the end of the year.

The rest of the $6.1 million in COVID funds were built into the city budget spending plan that went into effect July 1.

The onetime money has been allocated for things such as to buy or replace needed equipment so the city could do segments of pressing roadwork in-house such as they did earlier this month on segments of Spreckels Avenue and are now in the process of doing on Center Street west of Union Road.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com