County mulling director for parks: Discussion on tap for Thursday meeting

Support appears to be growing for the creation of a executive position to head the Bartholomew County Parks system.

“There are people who think the time has come when we need to have someone in charge of our parks,” county commissioner chairman Larry Kleinhenz recently told members of the Bartholomew County Council.

But while some believe a full-time director may be required, park board president Dennis Pierce said a maintenance facilities manager may be best at this juncture.

The county commissioners have invited county council president Mark Gorbett and council park board liaison Evelyn Pence to a Thursday meeting when they will discuss the idea of creating a county park executive, Kleinhenz said. Pierce said he and long-time park board member Dave Apple will also be in attendance.

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The discussion reflects the fact that the county’s park system has grown significantly over the past two decades, Apple said.

While Dunn Stadium used to be utilized for occasional softball games, the facility on Spears Street, south of Garden City, now hosts games, events or tournaments up to 39 weekends every year, Apple said.

Although Heflen Park was once just a small river camp, the 35-acre facility off County Road 700N near Taylorsville has evolved into a popular family campsite, Apple said.

Last year, the Dunn and Heflen facilities were largely responsible for generating $39,511 in revenue. While Pierce said that may not be a lot of money, he said income is likely to keep growing if upgrades, rather than just maintenance, are undertaken.

Apple credited Dunn Stadium maintenance supervisor Adam Fish and Heflen Park manager Lisa Zeigler for their efforts to improve their respective facilities, adding that he doesn’t want the creation of a parks executive to jeopardize their positions.

Besides Dunn and Heflen, significant improvements are being considered for the 44-acre Anderson Falls Park, located off County Road 1140E near Hartsville, Apple said.

When current operations and future plans are considered, the amount of work may require more time and effort than what anyone should expect from a six-member volunteer board, Kleinhenz said.

The current workload for a county park board member can be taxing, said 16-year board member Apple, who said he gets calls an average of three or four times a week that require him to get involved in resolving unexpected developments.

While the park board has largely focused its attention on Dunn, Heflen and Anderson Falls, some board members — along with Kleinhenz — are advocating improvements to other parks such as Elizabethtown and Petersville, Apple said.

But the annual budget for the dozen park properties, which rises from $187,931 this year to $210,981 next year, is barely enough for maintenance, Apple said. The additional $23,050 is just enough to hire an additional seasonal maintenance worker, he said.

In contrast, the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, which operates 23 parks and 10 social/recreational facilities, has a $4.35 million budget.

“Instead of little guys doing what they can, the city has people working to improve the parks, not just maintain them,” Pierce said.

Another matter of concern is the five-year master plan being developed for all the county parks by Ed Curtin, a former planner and city parks administrator.

Park improvements will be required if the master plan turns up liability or other issues with the dozen parks that board members are not aware of, Apple said.

But the master plan — as well as the November 2016 establishment of the Bartholomew County Parks Foundation — were both undertaken with the purpose of raising money for the 12 parks, Pierce said.

That may lead some county officials to advocate for a new park executive who has both grant writing and facilities management expertise, Pierce said.

Although there have been discussions about hiring a grant writer for all of county government by the county council, no formal proposals have yet been made.

If a decision is made to hire a county parks executive, it’s going to take time to fill that position, Pierce said.

The first step will likely be to first examine what other counties have done, followed by a salary study that will include financial packages and benefits, Pierce said.

There’s no indication at this time whether the county council will be willing to budget a for parks executive, Pierce said.

“I doubt we’ll have this in 2019,” Pierce said. “Realistically, I’m looking at waiting until 2020 until we get someone in that position.”

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A discussion on whether an executive position should be created for the Bartholomew County Parks will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Those participating will be the county commissioners, as well as representatives of the county council and county park board.

The matter will be brought up during a meeting in the commissioners’ offices at the Bartholomew County Government Office Building at Third and Franklin streets. 

Although this session is not considered a regular meeting, the public is allowed to attend.

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