Town to delay park loan payment one year for purchase

Tryon Town Council decided to delay Harmon Field’s $12,000 loan payment to the town for the purchase of the former middle school building in order to purchase a new turf mower during next year’s budget.

Council met March 19 and approved the method of payment for the mower.

The current Harmon Field mower requires constant maintenance and there has been concern about the current mower making it through the upcoming mowing season. Interim town manager Joey Davis said the current mower was out of service for over a month last year with mechanical issues.

Davis also said the town has a commercial mower that could be used, but a turf mower is specifically designed to provide the proper grooming of the fields at Harmon Field.

Harmon Field’s budget has $7,000 budgeted towards capital improvements that has not been spent this year, so the turf mower could be purchased with the town’s additional $12,000.

Harmon Field’s debt to the town for the purchase of the building was scheduled to be retired in fiscal year 2018-2019 so the loan will be pushed now to the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Davis also told council that Harmon Field has been unable to find a used mower and that one Harmon Field Board of Supervisor member said they weren’t interested in taking on any more debt service for a mower.

After some discussion about selling the old mower or keeping it, council decided to keep the old mower to use as a backup.