The Gerald Area Chamber of Commerce met Oct. 25 as guests of Otis and Jeanie Schulte. The Schultes hosted the group in their new shed which includes a diner decorated in a 1950s theme. Dinner was provided as well.

During the meeting in the diner, the group agreed to commit support and a monetary contribution of $1,000 to the city’s splash pad project. Mayor Angela Koepke reported the city intended to apply for a grant to fund half the project.

The chamber will not use current funds for the splash pad, but will hold fundraisers to raise the money.

The grant deadline for the project was mid-November and the city intended to include the letter of commitment in the grant package.

Things changed at the November city meeting. Public Administrator Nick Grube announced he felt the city should sit out the current grant cycle and plan to apply for the grant in the next six to 12 months.

Grube told the board repairs to the Veterans Memorial in Legion Park were going to be more extensive and costly than anticipated. He felt trying to fund the two projects simultaneously might not be feasible.

Instead, the city will focus on the memorial, while preparing a more solid grant package for the next round of grants for the splash pad.