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Gifts for park can be trouble, township hears
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - July 22, 2009)
Gifts for park can be trouble, township hears
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Sometimes it pays to look a gift horse in the mouth.
That was the conclusion of Chardon Township Trustees last week when they began discussion about donations residents have offered for the township's new park.
Trustees began reviewing donations, such as trees, picnic tables and park benches. But the discussion was halted when Fiscal Officer Joan Windnagel raised an issue on liability insurance for those donations.
She said she's aware of a homeowners association in Aurora that found out the hard way that the best of intentions can be costly. The association, which used common space for recreation to its residents, had been offered free playground equipment from one of them, she said.
The equipment was in excellent shape, and the couple making the donation no longer needed it, because their children were grown, she said. The homeowners association accepted the gift and erected the playground equipment on its property, she said.
Mrs. Windnagel said the association was grateful and happy to be able to provide the equipment at no cost to residents. "They thought it was a wonderful gesture," she said.
But the association soon found there was a cost.
Mrs. Windnagel said, when the insurance agent arrived to assess the property, he determined the equipment was not commercial grade. "Their liability insurance went up 500 percent," she said.
Mrs. Windnagel said she used the percentage as an exaggeration, not an actual figure, to demonstrate that there could be a significant increase in insurance premiums if trustees accept donations that are not commercial grade.
Once trustees start accepting donations, it would be difficult to say no to future donations, she said.
"All you need is, 'You took his, and here is mine, and you've got all kinds of trouble," Mrs. Windnagel said.
Trustee Steven Borawski said Mrs. Windnagel's input was an important point as trustees begin looking at possible donations.
Trustee Michael Brown said he would begin creating standards for any types of picnic tables and park benches as well as a list of trees that would be accepted for planting.
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