University City Gives Back Bike Trail Grant Because of Funding Shortfall

I'm going to admit a mistake, Interim Parks Department Director Ewald Winker said.

And with those words, Winker informed the members of the Park Commission at Tuesday's meeting that he had neglected to tell them that he had returned a $100,000 grant to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The grant money was for construction of a bike trail through Ruth Park Woods. 

"What happened over time was the estimated costs did not meet the actual costs," Winker said. University City's partner in the bike trail was Great Rivers Greenway and The Green Center. The total project was estimated to cost $500,000. The DNR grant was for $100,000, and Great Rivers Greenway was putting in a fair share of the money. Winker said that with these two groups contributing, there was a $100,000 funding gap.

Winker said that a week before Nancy MacCartney retired as director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, she met with City Manager Lehman Walker and Mayor Shelley Welsch about getting funding help, but the city manager said the City didn't have the money. 

Winker said he turned to Great Rivers Greenway in March for help, but it didn't have the money. He said The Green Center also said it didn't have the money to help make up the shortfall.

Winker said he thought he was doing the right thing by returning the grant money back to the state.

"Holding this money up is silly if we're not going to do this project," Winker said. He wrote a letter to the DNR in April turning back the funds.

However, although he informed Great Rivers Greenway and The Green Center about the funding situation, he never told the park commission.

"I didn't bring it to you. Don't ask me why I didn't. I wasn't trying to hide anything," Winker said. He said there was no ulterior motive or political pressure.

"We didn't have the $100,000, and I didn't want to hold all of this money up. It's silly. It wasn't going to happen," he said. "I had a lot going on, and it was an oversight."

"I should have come to you guys and told you what was going on. Even after the fact, I had time to say something in April, and I didn't say it," Winker said. "So, I will bite the bullet that it was my mistake."

"No political motivation?"committee member Caryn St. Clair asked. Winker reiterated that his decision was solely based on fiances. "I felt ridiculous to be holding up that money when it might be able to be used somewhere else," Winker said. "I apologize."

Park Commission President Tom Sweeney asked if the city council was aware of the shortfall in funding. Winker said he had only meet with the city manager and mayor.

Councilmember Lynn Ricci, the council liaison to the park commission had no recollection of the bike trail grant.

"I just wondered if the council had been made aware of the fact that there was a lack of funding and that we were having to give up the grant. And if you weren't, should you have been?" asked committee member Caryn St. Clair. 

"I would say yes," Ricci answered to St. Clair's question about whether the council should have been informed.

No work had actually begun on the bike trial, it was still in the planning and design phase."They couldn't get it to a number, where they could get it to construction. So, we never got to the construction phase," Winker said.

During citizen comments at the end of Tuesday's meeting, University City resident Paulette Carr said the decision to give back the grant should have been brought before the parks commission and City Council. She said it's possible the money could have been found.

She expressed concern that returning the money could result in loss of future grant opportunities. "That is a huge hit for the city," Carr said.

University City resident Cindy Thierry wondered why the city didn't considering tapping into its reserves. "That's why we have a reserve," she said. She, too, worried that returning the grant could have a detrimental impact.