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RANDOLPH – Randolph City Council members want to hear from the public about where to potentially move the Lion’s Club Park.
Currently located along Highway 20 adjacent to the Randolph Public Schools bus barn, the park is not frequently used and some of the playground equipment needs to be updated.
“It is not used as often as our larger park, given its location,” said City Administrator Sheila Korth.
A public hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 15, as part of the council’s regular meeting that was moved to a new date due to scheduling conflicts.
“Let’s listen to what they have to say, and get the public hearing, so people can talk,” said City Attorney Keelan Holloway. “I would rather have it happen then, than us do all the work, get it moved and then people show up and say ‘Why’d you do this?’ ” Former city administrator, Ben Benton, and current interim city administrator Josh Rayford had been working with descendants of the Martin Buol family who donated the land for the park and are willing to move the green space to a different area of town, Holloway said.
City council members discussed - at times talking over each other - designating certain areas of the existing Randolph Area Veterans Memorial Park as the Lion’s Club Park. Ideas for relocating the park included to the existing shelter area located near the pool; near the newest playground equipment north of the baseball field; near where Bob’s Campground used to be prior to floodplain project work on the southwest side of the park; or the southeast corner of the park across from the Saddle Club arena.
“Any of those places down there that we’re talking about would be great,” said Councilman Ted Stubbs.
Administrator Korth said some areas of the Randolph Area Veterans Memorial Park are still in the floodplain zone so that would need to be considered before moving the park.
Randolph resident Tom Guenther suggested moving the park to cityowned green space south of the Lied Randolph Public Library.
Plans will be made to move or replicate the shelter at the current Lion’s Club park, according to city council discussion.
The Randolph Times obtained the deed from Cedar County Deputy Clerk Darla Frank which lists the transaction between M.P. Buol and Olivia Buol, husband and wife, and the City of Randolph on Dec. 14, 1931.
The deed states, “This land is given to the City for a park and in event it is not used for that purpose it is to revert to the grantors or their heirs.”
According to Randolph’s history book, the Lion’s Club purchased the materials to build the shelter house at the park in 1979. The club was active in Randolph until 2003. When the group disbanded, Reaching Out Around Randolph (ROAR) took on many of the former club’s annual events.
City to purchase lots
At its last regular meeting, the council also authorized Mayor Dwayne “BoBo” Schutt to purchase several lots along the city’s floodplain project at Bridge Street and toward the west for $40,000.
Administrator Korth did not offer an explanation as to why the lots were purchased and declined to comment on any future plans for the area. Schutt said he didn’t want to comment until the purchase was finalized.
The city council minutes submitted to the Randolph Times did not indicate the city convened as a Community Development Agency for the approval of the purchase.
The lots are owned by Rose Ann Rohloff, Columbus. The city bought the easement on the property for the floodplain project in summer 2020.
Downtown mural
A phone message left for Rohloff was not returned Monday.
In other city council news, efforts are being made for a mural to be painted and visible to those passing through Randolph’s downtown.
Bob Kint agreed to have a mural painted on the brick wall side of his building at the southeast corner of Main and Broadway streets intersection.
Justin Guenther, Randolph, submitted his design idea for the council at last week’s meeting, and the council is awaiting another proposal before moving forward. Guenther’s design showcases rolling hills and bees but may change with input from Kint.
Last year’s Honey Fest organizers from the city’s Economic Development Advisory Board received a Cedar County Tourism Board grant and remaining funds - about $1,700 - will be used for the mural and to also paint an outline of a bee on the street for this year’s Community Fair.
The council would like the mural to be completed by September otherwise they would need to ask the tourism board for an extension.
The final design may also need to be approved by the city’s planning and zoning board, Holloway said.
