Not long after their last meeting on Nov. 19, members of Wrangell’s Parks and Recreation Board sat down again on Dec. 3 to discuss new goals for the coming year.
Haig Demerjian, Michael Brown and Cindy Martin met with Parks and Recreation director Amber Al-Haddad to lay out some ideas.
A big one they settled on is to craft a strategic plan, particularly in the area of examining current programming.
“Are we doing it well, can we do it better?” is the question Al-Haddad said they should be asking themselves.
Other goals would be to improve signage in the parks, focus on offering more adult-oriented programming, and to establish a scholarship policy.
“I think that’s very important, especially as we move forward with the new fee structure,” Al-Haddad said of the latter. Still being considered, the new fee proposal would readjust user rates across the parks system and phase out the corporate discount rate for the swimming pool. It would be rolled out over the next two years in stages.
In her monthly report to the board, Al-Haddad said the department signed a contract with company Carson Dorn for asbestos mitigation at the Community Center. After the bidding process, the work should begin in February or March.
“So we’re letting folks know in advance so they can plan for it,” she explained.
The public swimming pool’s draft report for repairs should be ready this week as well, she said.
Initial estimates figure $2 million will be needed for repairs, and the task has made it to the top on the Borough’s capital projects wish-list.
Items for the board’s capital project list still remain the same as before, including general improvements for Volunteer Park.
“There’s no real plan for a lot of those items,” Al-Haddad commented. For Volunteer Park, the money could go toward the baseball field, repairing the tennis court, or any of its other amenities.
The tennis court in particular seems like a likely candidate as the board leans toward converting the one at Shoemaker for other use. While arguably better-located, the Volunteer court currently has a large crack in its surface. The solution and cost to fixing it have yet to be fully figured.
“At this stage we would just assume what the fix would be,” Al-Haddad said, adding that an engineer would have to make an assessment to get a more precise view.
A memorandum of understanding for user groups is still being tabled, and board members went over the departmental policies and procedures manual’s second draft, which has been revised by Brown and Grover Mathis.
Aside from continuing revisions, the board opted to clarify renting a shelter does not give a person exclusive use over the surrounding park.
Demerjian also questioned whether the board should clarify its position on marijuana usage as it does with alcohol and tobacco. Alaska voters in November passed a ballot measure legalizing the drug and regulating its use. The Legislature still has to draft the official framework for the policy.
“It’s probably something we should be thinking about,” Demerjian said. After
discussing the idea, the board decided it will follow the City and Borough of Wrangell’s lead and wait until state regulations are devised.
Al-Haddad will continue going over the text for revisions and bring it back for review at the next meeting.
“We’ve taken this much time, let’s get it to where we want it,” she reasoned.
Also, it was noted Mathis resigned from the board.
He had never been sworn in after being reappointed in October, and so did not officially count.
For persons to be heard, Cyni Waddington from the local roller derby team took time to address the board.
“I am here on behalf of the Garnet Grit Betties,” she told them. “We just really wanted to come and introduce ourselves to you all.”
Part of her appearance was to address scheduling difficulties the team has been having with using the community gym. Currently the team does not pay to use the gym, and has had its customary times bumped to accommodate other users.
“We are really excited to be able to use the gym facility,” she said, adding that the team is willing to pay for gym time. Waddington said they would like it if the board considered the team part of the regular schedule.
“I just want to say thank you for what you’re doing,” Brown commented. In particular, he expressed appreciation for the group’s fundraising efforts. “It is a community asset and I’d hate to see it compromised.”
Al-Haddad then told Waddington the pair of them would meet to discuss the matter further.
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