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Budget items include new open-air gym wall paneling at Harmon Field, police and fire equipment 

 

TRYON—At the Tryon Town Council meeting on Tuesday, November 21, Town Manager Jim Fatland spoke about upcoming improvements at Harmon Field and other budget items for the town.

First on the agenda was replacing all the paneling on the exterior walls of the Harmon Field open-air gym with plain siding. The current paneling is constructed of plywood. There was also a five-year loan taken from HomeTrust Bank to purchase a new lawnmower for Harmon Field. 

Another addition to Harmon Field will be four new metal picnic tables to be installed at a cost of $2,500, two of which are already paid for by the Rotary Club of Tryon, Fatland said. There are also plans to replace the appliances in the Harmon Field catering kitchen at the log cabin.

Lastly, Tryon’s fire and police dispatch console is outdated, Fatland said, and needs to be replaced at a cost of $24,000.

The total cost for the maintenance and improvements amounts to roughly $80,000. 

Fatland stated that of the funding secured, Polk County Community Foundation is providing $25,000, another $25,000 will come from Harmon Field’s budget and the town of Tryon is supplying $30,000.

“A lot of the people in the community want to know how they can help out, how they can get involved,” Fatland added.

Fatland also stated that he planned on applying for a $30,000 North Carolina Municipalities grant that would be used to create a Parks and Recreation “Master Plan” for Harmon Field. Fatland was not yet sure what the plan would entail. The council approved a motion to apply for “any grants available” regarding funds for Harmon Field.

Director of Tryon Downtown Development Association Michelle Newman then addressed the council, explaining that all proceeds from the wildly successful Tryon Beer Fest would be donated to beautification projects throughout Tryon. Newman also requested a window of time between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on December 1 to close Trade St. to traffic, so that Tryon Elementary students can access and decorate the tree next to Morris the Horse. The roughly 30-minute window was approved by the council.

Newman also informed those in attendance of upcoming Tryon events, including the Fourth Friday Art Walk, Small Business Saturday on November 25, the Christmas Stroll on December 1, the Christmas Parade on December 13 and Tryon’s New Year celebration, Tryon Midnight, on the night of December 31. 

Mayor Alan Peoples closed the meeting by wishing attendees a Happy Thanksgiving, saying  “Be with your family and eat too much.”