The first pass on a City of Gladewater Parks & Recreation ordinance got a thumbs-up from council members last week, and City Clerk Judy Van Houten is finalizing the regs for likely adoption in April.
That will involve two actions: one would dissolve both the city’s Lake Board and Beautification Board; the second would create the Parks & Rec Board that replaces them.
Council members have repeatedly emphasized how the creation of the board will open avenues to strategically draw more public funding into the community. They unanimously signed-off on moving forward with the draft language.
“The way this is written is really pretty solid,” said council member Kevin Clark, a key proponent of the effort. “The wording, in particular, allows for growth.”
Combining the existing boards into a new one is the first step, he added, a simple start to get the effort on its feet and moving forward.
In particular, according to the draft, the board “shall develop a Parks and Recreation Master Plan to be adopted by the City Council and be used as a guiding tool for prioritizing and funding expanded recreational and leisure opportunities.”
Council members had no particular notes March 20 as they reviewed Van Houten’s first draft, derived from similar guidelines in other communities and tailored for Gladewater.
“I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel,” Van Houten said.
Find the draft regulations here.
According to the current details, the board will encompass all city-owned parks – at Lake Gladewater, Bumblebee Park, Everett Park and the ballfields – and make recommendation to the city council on maintenance, improvements and control of the properties.
“The Board shall stimulate civic pride and promote community involvement in order to enhance the aesthetic appearance of all city-owned parks,” according to the draft ordinance. “The Board may also organize volunteer projects and promote recreational activities.”
As presented, the P&R Board will be comprised of seven (unpaid) members and one alternate who will be appointed by the council to two-year terms. Moving forward from initial staggered appointments, future members (including those filling vacancies) will be nominated by the board for approval by the council. Members may be removed by council majority.
“Anyone who would want to be on this board would have to apply,” Mayor Brandy Flanagan said. “We would definitely open it up to those individuals who have been serving on those boards” that are being dissolved.
The new board will include a chairman, vice chair and secretary as officers. A municipal department head (designated by the city manager) will serve as an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the board. All members must receive training on the state’s Open Meetings Act and Public Information Act.
If approved as is, the board is set to meet at 5 p.m. at Gladewater City Hall on the second Monday of every other month (in January, March, May, July, September and November).