As discussed at our meeting on 5/16, we are taking bid proposals for the management of Hollerwood Park. Here is the official statement:

The Multi County Recreational Board is now accepting contractor proposals regarding the management and operation of Hollerwood Offroad Park, Leeco, KY. Proposals based upon the follow parameters, can be submitted to Multi County Recreational Board by mail at P.O. Box 10, Stanton, Kentucky 40380. Deadline for proposals is noon, Wednesday, May 30th, 2018. The Multi County Recreational Board has the right to refuse or accept any proposals.

The board listened to discussion from Ben Tipton of Allmotive regarding the possibility of having a 3rd party manage core park services. They discussed contracting the park management out to a 3rd party group; handling ticket sales, food & vending, lawn care, sales, and vehicle maintenance. The board discussed the merits of the proposal and the pros and cons of the concept as a whole. After much debate, the board voted to outsource the management of the park to a 3rd party group for the remainder of the calendar year.

The management contract requirements will be posted on Facebook soon. We hope to have responses in by our next special meeting on May 30th.

The board heard updates from the members on the progress of the building. Internet, water, roof leaking, etc. were all talked about. Progress has been made, work continues. It's an old building, so extra care is needed.

We've been continually trying to utilize our county road crews to help deploy materials and fix some problem areas. The wet conditions have hindered some of the efforts, but we're trying to push through as best we can. We continually need support from our county leaders to ensure we have access to the tools and expertise of our road crews.

Our work hasn't been limited to the trails. We've also been working diligently on the office. We've been working on fixing leaks, upgrading the electrical systems, restoring water to the building, and getting our security system up and running. Most of this work is still in progress, so we'll keep you updated as more items are fixed.

The board heard some more quotes for a focused set of signage at the park. Stop signs, rules, caution signs, and warning signs were all discussed. Signage is a bit complicated, but this is key to implementing before the park gets going.

The board discussed membership and quorum issues that have been recurring over the past few years. The board discussed collecting names to submit to the Judge Executive's who have members with low attendance. The list would be composed of dedicated people who are committed to opening the park and seeing it succeed. If you would be interested in being on the Hollerwood Park board, please email us at hollerwood@hollerwoodpark.com.

In response to issues arising from the erosion of areas deemed "swampy" in our park, Park Manager Tony Tipton reached out to surrounding businesses to see what solutions they implemented. The solution he brought to the table was one using recycled rubber tire mats made from old tires. This is beneficial for our area due to the concentration of old tires that are littered in and around our waterways. Grants are available that could pay for 25% of the cost. Board members raised questions about what substances to put under the mat and if the waterway can drain sufficiently even with the mat. The board voted to proceed with applying for the grant.

Park manager Tony Tipton has recently been in contact with the new Estill County Judge Executive, Kevin Williams, regarding their payment obligation. Judge Williams expressed support for the project and assured Mr. Tipton that he would work to secure the funds within 90 days. We look forward to working with Judge Williams in regards to this project.

Board member Ian Teal has been working on getting the building on the property fixed up in order to house our main office. He requested $220 for labor and materials in order to get the roof sealed and fixed up. Board member Dedra Brandenburg was working towards getting the electrical working in the building. She relayed to the board that she consulted with local electrician Bill Kramp from Lee County about getting the power on., He informed her that as it stands, the building will not pass inspection. He submitted an offer of $1700 in labor and equipment to cover overhauling the electrical system. Both motions passed.

Governor Matt Bevin has instructed Government agencies to reach out to counties and projects in certain "Opportunity Zones" and let them know about upcoming funding opportunities. Park Board Chairman Craig Dawson was contacted by representatives from the SOAR organization about the potential for Hollerwood Park to receive funding. Mr. Dawson, in conjunction with representatives from Wolfe (and hopefully Estill and Lee), will work towards applying for funding. This application is due Monday, February 26th, so timing is of utmost importance.

Members of the board and local county governments have reached out to the Estill County's newly appointed Judge Executive, Kevin Williams. While Judge Williams acknowledges the tight fiscal situation that he has inherited, he did state that he is firmly behind the Hollerwood Park project. Estill County still owes the Hollerwood Park board for last years lease payment. We look forward to working more with Estill County and their new leaders.

When Estill County couldn't make their payment, members of the board reached out to other local government organizations. Our hope was that these other groups saw the promise in this project like we all do. Luckily, they did share in our vision and granted us funds. This not only allowed us to make our lease payment, but it also moves the needle much closer towards opening. If you are a supporter of this park, and know someone on the Stanton City Tourism Commission or the Wolfe County Tourism Commission, thank them. 

Tony Tipton, Park manager for Hollerwood Park, updated the board on some important items related to our physical property. He's been working with legal counsel to clear up some title issues that are still causing problems. They believe they reached a resolution, but some more work will be required. He also updated the board on possible land swaps with the Forestry Service. Tentatively, the talks seem mutually beneficial for both entities; us gaining important features and they would alleviate themselves of patrolling headaches. Tony will keep the board updated with further talks.

We went over outstanding items that are needed in order to get the park open.​ Issues of building quality, utilities, and internet dominated the conversation. We also reviewed new concepts regarding trail markers that can be deployed in the park. Many board members took action-items and will report back at the next meeting.

Park Manager Tony Tipton has been meeting with the Forestry Service concerning some contested boundary issues in the park. We have come to a tentative agreement on where Hollerwood Park ends and the Forestry Service property begins. We will be posting more signs in these areas to let riders know that they are leaving Hollerwood Park.​ We will be posting some features that are closed to the border that are included and excluded from the park in a future post.

The board discussed plans for shoring up areas of Little & Big Widowmaker. After much discussion, it was decided that the area needs a silt barrier. The board will be working with the local county governments to get a barrier purchased and installed.

Park Manager Tony Tipton reached out to some of the private land owners regarding some other boundary disputes. After some discussion, he reached an agreement that avoided him pushing trespassing issues on his side as long as the riders are made aware that they have left the park.

The board is still waiting to receive Estill County's portion of the lease payment. Letters have been sent from the County Attorney that currently represents the board to all Judge Executives and Fiscal Courts involved in the project. Members of the board have also made numerous attempts to contact representatives of the Estill County government in regards to the status of this payment. This is a serious issue that puts this project in jeopardy. We encourage all supporters of this project to reach out to the local government officials in Estill County and voice your support for the project. Here are the links you can use to contact these representatives:

• Wallace Taylor, Judge Executive
• Magistrates of the Fiscal Court
• Estill County Treasurer

The board had a special meeting on Wednesday, September 6th. Special meetings are held to discuss specific topics and not typically open to general discussion. This special meeting was held to go over the lease payment for the park and to review sub-committee work on operational equipment related to a POS system and online storefront for purchasing tickets and other items at the park.

Three of the four counties have paid their portion of the lease payment. The board is still waiting to receive the payment from Estill County. The invoice was sent to Estill County in July, but after two fiscal court meetings, the Estill County Fiscal Court has yet to approve their contractually obligated portion of the lease payment. The board was presented with the meeting minutes from October 2014 when the Estill County Fiscal Court approved the lease payment, which has a term of 6 years. The board will continue to ensure the lease payment is paid and that Estill County contributes their portion.

Board members Dedra Brandenburg and Chad Birch presented research done by them, along with board member Joe Crawford, regarding waiver systems, point of sale systems, online storefronts, and permit design, rules, and costs. More research and work is needed in some of these areas, but the board is on track to have their day-to-day sales needs met.

We encourage everyone who is interested in this project to come out to the next meeting on Wednesday, September 20th.

The attendance at today's meeting was low due to many people involved are representing their respective counties in Louisville at the State Fair. Both members and attendees of our board are very involved in their communities, so we hope they all have safe travels to and from home this week.

Jeff Dozier and James Neukam headed up our trail day on August 12th. The group worked closely with the Forrestry Service this time to get quite a bit done. We also had a chance to have an on-site discussion with the Forrestry Service about disputed features and land borders. We made a lot of progress with the trails and with the property lines today. We call this a success.

All four counties have been working hard to fix the issues at the swamp. Each county has contributed their road crew and materials to work on this issue. We estimate that we're 90% complete with this project. 

We have signs up! This has been one of the key hurdles to opening the park. These were mostly deployed at our trail day. We have signs stating when you're entering/leaving the park, as well as other informative signs to guide you through property and warn you of some of the hazardous areas.

The board meeting started out hearing questions and concerns with the park from citizens who live in the area of the park. Concerns were raised around safety, violators, property boundaries, and economic impact. Park manager Tony Tipton, Powell County Judge Executive James Anderson, business owners in attendance, and members of the community that support the project helped address each concern as they were raised. This was important for the board to help them understand the issues that may be raised once the park becomes fully operational.

Jeff Dozier from The Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway addressed the board with his concerns around the trespassing in the Sandlick area. Signage was the solution that has been proposed to address this issue. He also offered his support to assist in funding for signage. John Kazmierski from the U.S. Forestry Service also weighed in on his concern around the degradation of the non-system roads that are currently in the Forestry Service area, some of which are running through creeks. While John is working with Powell County Judge Anderson on an alternate route in the area covered by the forestry service that would be designated as a system road, the signage solution is still required to ensure the riders know where to go and where not to go.

Park Manager Tony Tipton has been working hard on the park. In addition to mowing and lawn maintenance, he also worked on securing the site through improved locks, fixed the garage door, and worked on the water pump and electrical systems. He's also been working with the currently land owners to identify good spots to install camping sites. Their historical knowledge of the utilities infrastructure is extremely helpful in this effort. New trespassing signs and security devices have also been installed on-site.

We'll be hosting another trail day on August 12th. Here is a description of the event:

Activities we plan on accomplishing are:

• Trash pickup
• Cleaning existing trails (before the trees bloom too much)
• Brush cutting
• Placing boundary signs to let people know when they're leaving the park.

Equipment needed:

• Gloves
• Pruners
• Weed-eaters
• Hedge-trimmers
• Chainsaws
• Trash bags

Updates to the event will be handled on the Facebook event. If you plan on attending, please respond that you will be 'Going' on the event.

If you want to know when we meet again, we manage our meetings via our Hollerwood Park Facebook page. Come join us at our next meeting.

We're still working diligently on opening the park. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The big items left to knock out are:

• Boundary issues
• Building issues
  • Clean up
  • Utilities
• Trail issues
  • Still having issues at 'the Swamp'.
• Administrative issues
  • Signs
  • POS system
  • Vehicle stickers

Once we get these cleaned up, we will be ready. Look for more information soon.

If you have any questions or concerns, come out to our next meeting.