GREEN RIVER — The Green River City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday night to accept the Green River Greenbelt Taskforce Master Plan. Mayor Pete Rust and Councilman Mike Shutran were absent from the meeting.

The master plan has been rewritten over the course of the past two years.

The process included public outreach efforts including public open houses, a general survey with 760 responses, focused working groups featuring a cross-section of the community, booths for public comment at public events, a public hearing and a final 6-week open comment period.

The updated master plan was made possible through a technical assistance grant obtained through the National Parks River and Trails Conservation Assistance Program.

As part of that assistance, an expert with the National Parks Service worked with the city on the plan. Green River Parks and Recreation Director Brad Raney estimates that the city received about $75,000 to $100,000 in services. 

Raney said that the process of putting this plan together has been valuable in creating momentum and energy on the Greenbelt Task Force.

“We’ll see the lasting effects of the document, but I think the planning process has been just as valuable as the document itself,” Raney said.

He added that while this is the final step for the master plan, the task force has already been hard at work with Greenbelt improvements.

“Between grants and donations, they’re up around $1 million that will be invested into the city of Green River for a better quality of life,” Raney said.

Raney believes having this plan in place will guide Green River toward growth.

“I think this is the perfect time for this plan to be finalized as we have the prospect of growth ahead of us in the city,” Raney said.

The 63-page Greenbelt Master Plan can be viewed here.

Other Business

The Council also unanimously approved a First Responder & Law Enforcement Mental Health Support Grant agreement in the amount of $32,575.

The grant was set up during the 2022 Legislative session using the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and the city applied for it in November 2022.

Awarded funds will be used to provide Police Officer/First Responder Wellness checks, Peer Support Training and Interpersonal and Professional Relationship Train the Trainer Courses.

This grant is 100 percent federal funds with the goal of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the city’s law enforcement and first responder staff and those of the city’s partnering agencies.