ROTHBURY — The Rothbury village council continued discussion of the impending improvements to Czarny Park at its regular meeting Tuesday after the low bid for the project came in well higher than the figure the village had budgeted for it.
The work, which includes field improvements, the installation of a new playground and - the item generating the most cost and discussion - a new bathroom facility, had an engineer estimate of $373,500, but Director of Operations Scott Beishuizen reported Tuesday that the low bid was over $564,000.
Beishuizen noted that the bid did not contain line items, so the village does not know for certain what changes could be made to lower the cost to the village. The most obvious change would be to the pre-fabricated bathroom facility planned for the park; a change to a vaulted bathroom, the council said, could save about $60,000. However, council members did not seem warm to the idea, with council member Dylan Zuniga saying he'd rather have a portable facility there than a vaulted bathroom because it would be cleaned more regularly.
After discussion, Beishuizen said he would ask Prein and Newhof, the firm the village is working with on the project, to obtain a new bid with line items and potential changes to the bathroom.
The village received its annual audit report from Brickley DeLong, which showed a clean audit. Brickley DeLong's Eric Van Dop noted that the village saw a decline in revenues in 2025-26, from $565,043 the year before to $507,205, which he attributed largely to a smaller attendance at the 2025 Electric Forest festival. As attendance was higher this past summer, he expects village revenue will rebound accordingly on the 2026-27 fiscal year audit. There was a decline in the balance of the local streets fund, largely because of projects the village undertook this year like the crush and seal on Wilke Road.
Police chief Ethan Walker reported that the new Chevrolet Tahoe the village purchased for the department is now in use and that the old one has been decommissioned and posted for auction online. A buyer will be determined after bids close next month.
The council unanimously approved the annual hazard mitigation plan, which is required for municipalities to pass in order to receive federal disaster relief funding in the event a natural disaster arises.
Village Clerk Brandy Williams passed along that preparations continue for the new Trunk or Treat event that will take place at the Double JJ Rodeo Grounds on Water Street. A registration page is available for those who plan to attend or participate at doublejj.com.
