Cass commissioners reverse course, approve Lawless Park funding
In March, commissioners were asked to approve use of $249,192 from the Bombardie bequest to help close a funding gap in the park improvement project, which was initially denied in a 4-4 vote. In a 5-3 vote on April 9, commissioners reversed course and approved the request.
The Bombardie bequest stems from a donation made more than two decades ago by Charles Bombardie, who left 10% of his estate to Cass County Parks. County documents say $249,192 remained in the fund before Thursday’s vote, with the money restricted for park purposes.
During Thursday’s discussion, Commissioner Samuel Barrera read from the last will and testament of Charles Bombardie, dated 2001, and argued the county should honor the donor’s intent by using the money for park improvements.
The Cass County Board of Commissioners reversed course Thursday, approving nearly $250K in previously rejected funding for improvements at Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park and reviving a project that had seemingly been halted just weeks earlier.
In a 5-3 vote April 9, commissioners approved the use of $249,192 from the Bombardie bequest to help cover a funding shortfall tied to the Lawless Park improvement project. Commissioners Alan Northrop, Michael Grice and James Lawrence voted no. Commissioners R.J. Lee, Roseann Marchetti, Tom Langley, Samuel Barrera and Chair Jeremiah Jones voted yes.
The vote marked a shift from the board’s March 19 meeting, when commissioners deadlocked 4-4 on the same request. Because tie votes fail, the motion did not pass at that time, effectively stalling the project. A separate request for $127,327 from the county’s capital improvement fund also failed on a 4-4 vote that night.
The project centers on upgrades at Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park, an approximately 820-acre county park near Vandalia known for hiking, fishing, disc golf and winter recreation. County officials also highlighted the park’s designation as an International Dark Sky Park during Thursday’s meeting, when commissioners formally recognized Dark Sky Week from April 13-20. County documents state Lawless is one of three designated Dark Sky parks in Michigan.
The Lawless project is supported by a $428,600 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund grant, which requires a dollar-for-dollar local match. That set the original project budget at about $857,200. Planned improvements include a paved parking lot and driveway, a new gatehouse, upgrades to the Schug Pavilion and installation of a splash pad.
But after roughly $119,000 in design and engineering costs, the remaining construction budget stood at $737,930. Initial bids came in at $1,061,380, leaving a gap of more than $323,000. With contingency costs included, county records placed the total shortfall at $376,519.
The Bombardie bequest stems from a donation made more than two decades ago by Charles Bombardie, who left 10% of his estate to Cass County Parks. County documents say $249,192 remained in the fund before Thursday’s vote, with the money restricted for park purposes.
During Thursday’s discussion, Commissioner Samuel Barrera read from the last will and testament of Charles Bombardie, dated 2001, and argued the county should honor the donor’s intent by using the money for park improvements.
Barrera also questioned how long the county should allow the funds to sit unused while inflation reduces their purchasing power, comparing the value of the bequest in earlier years to what it can buy today.
Barrera, who also serves on the Parks Board, had sharply criticized the March 19 tie vote.
“I just want the members of this board to understand what just happened,” he said after last month’s meeting. “We have $110K invested into this project — now what are we going to do? We’ve successfully killed this project, so that money is on our hands. I don’t know how we’re going to recover those funds. … I’m really not proud of us right now.”
Commissioners who opposed the funding Thursday did not offer substantially new objections, but several had previously cited concerns about escalating project costs, repeated funding requests, and pressure on county finances.
On March 19, Grice said the additional county contribution was not budgeted and warned it could create issues within the capital improvement fund. Opponents also questioned whether commissioners were being asked to move too quickly on another cost increase.
Thursday’s vote addresses most — but not all — of the project’s documented funding gap. Based on county figures presented last month, additional money would still be needed unless project costs or scope change.
County records previously stated the grant-funded project needed to be completed by June 30 to receive reimbursement, though parks officials said they had been told an extension from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources was likely available if necessary.
For now, the board’s latest vote gives new life to a project that appeared dead less than a month ago.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
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