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Electric City may still get started on its new park behind the fire station early this year.

A discussion at last week’s council meeting provided some hope to Councilmember Lonna Bussert that work on a needed retaining wall could be done after the city receives the finished Pathway and Revitalization plan from a Washington State University team of an assistant professor and several students.

That plan is expected to be complete in either late January or early February and include details of the development of the park.

Bussert was active in the negotiations for the purchase of the park land from Banks Lake Bible Church, and organized two fundraisers to benefit the park’s development.

While the city has funds for at least partial development of the park, there’s been a reluctance to do so.

The arrival of the finished park plan could change that. The discussions last week centered on the retaining wall, something that will be necessary before any serious development occurs.

Members of the council at the time seemed interested in at least funding the retaining wall, which would prevent erosion at the site. Bussert has maintained that the city needs to show the public that it is moving forward on the project before it starts any more fund- raising for the park.