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Columbia/Adair Co. Parks & Recreation Board springs to life CJE Ann Melton, Mayor Mark Harris attend marathon first session. Officers are elected. CJE says price of Christian Life Center low enough - $300,000 - that hope is Senior Citizen's Center, Parks facility can be remodeled, re-opened debt free, with benefit of private fundraising, now underway. Details of management approved. But future of Duck Race is in limbo. LIttle League makes attractive offer - $100,000 - to P & R on 14 acres of land which P & R would buy, lease back. Little league recently sold one acre in same area for Fastenal facility for $40,000. Click on headline for full story, photo(s). By Ed Waggener The year 2011 in Columbia/Adair County will be an exciting one, if just for activity in Parks & Recreation, if last evenings first full nine-member board meeting of the new joint venture is any indication. Meeting at 5pmCT, Monday, March 14, 2011, in the conference room at the Adair 911 Center, 107 N. High ST, Columbia, KY, the board elected Charles Grimsley, chairman of the predecessor Columbia Parks and Recreation Board, as Chairman. Bobby Bowe, whose long career in state government has been mostly spent in state parks management, was elected vice chairman. Donna Shirley, a charter board member of the Columbia Parks and Recreation Board, was elected as the secretary. And Columbia banker Bruce White was elected treasurer. Other members of the board are Rebecca Schmidt, Craig Dean, Billy Dean Coffey, Thomas Steele, and Greg Thomas. CJE, Mayor both express support, excitement about the Parks system CJE Ann Melton told the board that the Christian Life Center negotiations are far enough along that Doug McCammish, a spokesperson for the Columbia Baptist Church, said that the price of the 14 acre plus gymnasium facility could be announced, and it is much less than had been rumored on the streets: $300,000. With the $10,000 earnest money already paid, the balance is $290,000. Speculation had been that the price might be as much as $100-150,000 more. She said that approval has been assured that the Economic Development grant money the city and county received earlier can be used to purchase the building, so long as a senior citizen's center is incorporated in it. Mayor Harris said that the local banks, Walmart, and other local entities are being asked to help fund the project, and that one $100,000, anonymous grant from an individual is in the works. "I'm excited that we may be able to put this together and not owe anything when the project is done," he said.Both Mayor Harris and CJE Melton cited the health benefits of the parks system, as well as the boost to tourism.Judge Melton added that part of the financing may come with the Fiscal Court and the City Council coming up with $50,000 to fund the Senior Citizens/Parks and Recreation facility. She is hoping the proposal can be deliberated as early as the May meetings of the two bodies. She said that she and Mayor Harris are hoping that the transfer of the property can happen within 60 days. Basic working agreement Initially, the Parks and Recreation board will have limited administrative and record keeping functions. Through an agreement with the city, the county will have a special bank account to handle P & R funds. Purchases will be tracked using the county's purchase order system. Little League proposes sale and lease back of property at Industrial Park Bo Biggs and Larry Holmes of the Adair County Little League were at the meeting to propose the City/County and/or Parks and Recreation buy 14 acres on east of the Little League baseball facilities on Doc Walker Road and lease the land back to the Little League.The Little League, in turn would develop, over time, two football/soccer fields, a basketball facility, and a playground. Biggs said that the worth of the land has bee established. Recently the Little League sold one acre for the Fastenal sale facility for $40,000. The Little League representatives said that the government entities would be in a much better position to apply for grants or low interest loans than the Little League can find. Working together, they said, the program could benefit many more youngsters. Holmes cited the tourism possibilities, and stressed that the primary purpose of the Little League to build character. "We tell the kids they are students first, athletes second," he said. He said that at least one of the proposed football fields would serve as a soccer facility, as well. At present, even with Lindsey Wilson the major men's and women's soccer team in the NAIA, there are no soccer programs in Little League or in the the Adair County School District. In all, the board was told, some 500-600 kids benefit from the Little League's baseball, football, and basketball programs. Chairman Grimsley said that the P & R Board will immediately go to work to find grants or other financing mechanisms to see if the purchase/lease back proposal can be achieved. Any employees of the P & R would be employees of the county, as well. Areas of responsibility were further explained. Judge Melton and Mayor Harris said that any employees of the P & R Board would be carried as employees of the county, with the P & R Board responsible for the actual cost of strictly P & R workers. Maintenance of the jointly owned Senior Citizens/Park center would be the responsibility of the Parks & Recreation Board, but maintenance of the old City Parks would continue to be a city function, and maintenance of the County's parks at Arnold's Landing and at Mt. Carmel (also known on some older maps as Butler Creek), and the Corbin's Bottom facilities would be the responsibility of the county. No decision yet made on the Duck Race The board did not make any decision on the continuation of the Duck Race, which completed its third season on Labor Day, 2010. Donna Shirley said that the duck race usually generates about $600 net for the Parks & Recreation Board. Other items discussed were walking trails, horseback riding trails, bird watching and nature walks, and the benefits of recreation as a tourist draw. The board also heard a brief summary of the opportunities for P & R concerts and the difficulties encountered with previous efforts to establish a series of concerts in the park. The next regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board will be Monday, April 4, 2011, at 7pmCT at the Adair 911 Center, 107 N. High ST, Columbia, KY. This story was posted on 2011-03-15 07:57:16
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