Rec/Park board gearing up for another full, busy season

Posted March 1, 2017 at 10:24 am

The Recreation Park Board’s executive committee and other members–five total present–held its first regular meeting of the year last Thursday night, February 23 and began discussing the upcoming spring and summer seasons that usually fill the park from early April until early fall each year.

Board treasurer Gina Poore was absent from the meeting due to illness, but park director Bobby Reneau informed the board that the checkbook balance was about at “zero,” at this particular point. However, with the most recent added input of funding from the city and county, quarterly payments will begin being made in late March to help alleviate some of the financial burden.

Both the county fiscal court and Albany City Council recently agreed to increase its annual assistance to the park from $10,000 to $15,000 per year–with those payments to be made on a quarterly basis four times throughout the year.

Reneau also discussed some ongoing buildings and grounds work in preparation for the upcoming months and start of the Little League baseball season sometime in early April. He also noted it appeared the middle school softball team may also be using the park for its home games again this season.

The Little League Board Treasurer, Kevin Young, also attended the session to discuss the upcoming season, as well as asking questions about the bidding process for operation of the concession stand beginning with opening day and continuing through the end of June.

He noted that, thus far, the numbers that have joined the little league program board this year has been small. He also told the board the league would soon be turning over concession stand revenues owed the park from the 2016 season.

Currently bids for someone to operate the concession stand are being advertised and are due by March 1.

Although no opening day for the little league season has been set at this time, it will likely be just after the school’s spring break the first week of April.

The little league official also stated that in most other area county’s and cities, the park boards actually operate the little league program and questioned if that would not be feasible here, by combining the two boards.

Park board members, however, explained they had the same problems of retaining active, working members and could not take on that task, but did agree to cooperate and work with the little league program in any way possible.

The little league treasurer also said he had been approached by one local business to sponsor a field and have it named after their business at a set sponsor fee. He added the sponsorship of a field named after the business could be split with the little league and park board.

A motion was made by board member Leland Hicks to allow a field to be named through a sponsorship, on a year to year basis. The motion passed unanimously.

The board also discussed a couple of fundraisers it could hold in conjunction with Little League Opening Day, including a “bucket brigade” to take voluntary donations from anyone who wished to donate. No fees or admissions can be charged by a public park, but donations can be accepted.

They also discussed having a home run derby with different age categories, charging an entry fee to enter and award (donated) prizes in each category.

Board member Hicks said he had been in contact with a person who may be interested in starting a softball league at the park this summer,.

Finally, the board again discussed the upcoming mowing season, noting the necessity to get the mower repaired and mowing started, as well as keeping trash and debris removed from the park as much as possible.

The next regular meeting of the park board is scheduled for March 30 at 6 p.m. at the park. Board officers will be elected at this meeting, which is open to the public.