Hillsboro City Council updated on park activities, intern experience

Following their first summer season with a new parks director, Hillsboro City Council heard an update on successes from the past few month during their Thursday, Sept. 12 meeting.

In lieu of his regular report, Hillsboro Mayor Justin Harsha asked parks director Caleb Gregory and intern Hannah Koogler to address city council about their respective duties with the city.

As previously reported, the City of Hillsboro assumed operations of Shaffer Park in February 2024, following the hiring of Gregory as parks director, a new position for the city. Gregory recapped the summer at Shaffer Park and provided updates on other city parks as well in his report to council.

“Every night, it was just exciting to be there,” Gregory said. “Watching the kids, from the first game to the last game, from every team out there and every player, everyone made a big improvement throughout the season. To me, that's what brings joy, is watching those kids grow up, having stories out there and just improving and having fun.”

The summer season involved a 10-week schedule with 43 teams, and due to the ongoing drought, there was only one “half rainout” for the entire season, Gregory said.

“We were able to generate $32,000 in revenue for player registration, sponsorships, donations and our concession stands,” Gregory said. “I thought the first year was a great start. I'm happy to announce that all those funds will go back into Shaffer Park.

“Our goal is to provide even more opportunities for players, families and spectators to enjoy everything the park has to offer.”

Gregory said that preparing for next year, “our first big project is investing in new fencing for all seven fields.”

“We've already started making small improvements out there every day, which is going to keep making Shaffer Park better, helping it grow,” Gregory said.

As previously reported, a resolution to solicit bids and accept the lowest and best bid for fencing improvements at Shaffer Park was approved as an emergency measure following suspension of the three-reading rule in July. According to Harsha, the city requested the legislation’s passage as an emergency in order to complete the work this fall.

For an update on other parks, Gregory said that the pickleball courts, which opened earlier this year at the Railroad Street Park, have been “a huge success” and have seen near constant use in the mornings and evenings.

“We're excited for our first major pickleball tournament, the Bell City Open, which takes place September 21 and 22,” Gregory said. “The restrooms down there should be open up during the same time. The parks crew has done an amazing job for the restrooms down there, so the restrooms at Railroad should be opening up here soon.”

Registration for the Bell City Open can be completed online. For more information, go to https://www.hillsboropickleball.org.

It was announced in August that the Railroad Street Park will also be home to a new ninja course playground, thanks to the generous donation of longtime local business owners and philanthropists Darrell and Jane Tissot. Council voted 7-0 to approve supplemental appropriations in the amount of $169,723 for the donation, as Harsha said it will be known as the “Jane and Darrell Tissot Ninja Course.”

“At the end of the month — I think around September 27 — the materials for the ninja course are going to be delivered,” Gregory said. “The parking lot may be coned off for certain days.”

Recent upgrades to Liberty Park include the addition of a new ADA-accessible playground at Harmony Lake and an archery range; landscaping done by the park grounds crew; and cleanup efforts by volunteers from Good News Gathering and the Hillsboro High School sophomore class.

“We're currently planning on some exciting events,” Gregory said. “With the new archery range, I'm working on a couple events like training and safety sessions on how to use the bow and arrows; a nature trail walk, and even a flag football tournament. There's a few more ideas in the works, so stay tuned.”

Gregory thanked “everyone who was involved this year in making [Shaffer Park operations] a huge success,” including Koogler; the parks crew, grounds crew and concessions crew, whom he said are primarily high school students; local businesses and organizations that support the park; and the coaches, umpires, parents and players.

“Thank you guys for everything, and thanks to the City of Hillsboro for believing in me,” he said.

Koogler, who said that she worked as an intern with city administrative assistant Whitney Aliff in April, spoke about some of the projects she worked on during her tenure.

Koogler said she assisted Gregory with plans for the summer season at Shaffer Park and also helped Aliff on several city events and projects, along with organizing records.

Koogler told council that Aliff taught her about “basic government standards” as well as introduced her to individuals throughout the city. Throughout her months as an intern, Koogler said she learned “how the city is run on a day-to-day basis” and “the roles of city council members and city officials,” including by attending council meetings.

“Throughout that entire experience, I realized that working for the city is definitely hard work and involves a lot of paperwork” Koogler said. “I was super thankful for the opportunity I was given.”

Council members, administration and citizens in attendance gave her a round of applause.

“We appreciate what she did for the city,” Harsha told council.

For more from Thursday’s meeting, see: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/hillsboro-water-emergency-future-s… and https://highlandcountypress.com/news/union-negotiations-revised-pay-ord….

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