VERGENNES — The Vergennes City Council has agreed to revive the city’s recreation committee, a step council members on Tuesday said would help city officials stay on top of maintaining existing facilities and provide them ideas and guidance for new offerings.
The new group will operate under the name of the Recreation Facilities and Programs Advisory Committee and should begin operations this summer.
Mayor Renny Perry said the council could begin appointing members “at the next council meeting, actually, if we follow the charge” outlined in a document written up for council approval at its June 26 meeting.
That document calls for a committee to consist of a council member, a student, four city residents and a school representative (the city’s pool, skate park, tennis courts, skating rink and basketball hoops are all near Vergennes Union Elementary School). It calls for them to “maintain a close working relationship” with the city manager. On this past Tuesday the council decided members would be appointed annually.
The group will elect its own chairperson, and the council added it should also pick a clerk/secretary to help the group meet open meeting requirements, including advertising meetings and keeping minutes and posting them online.
The council began to talk of reviving the committee when it recently evaluated the skate park, a process than included a site visit and a decision to perform deferred maintenance and move a tennis backboard that was isolating the facility. Alderman David Austin was set this past Saturday to lead a volunteer crew that would apply sealant to its wooden structures.
The committee’s mission will include acting in “an advisory capacity” on programming, facilities operation and maintenance, policies, revenue generation, capital investments, and public outreach, including surveys and studies.
Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at [email protected].