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Village steps to plate with recreation rally
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - July 11, 2012)
Village steps to plate with recreation rally
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Burton Village Council moved forward Monday with plans to lend a helping hand to the Berkshire Recreation Board.
Members of council and Mayor Nicholas Fischbach agreed to investigate whether neighboring townships would join the village in financially aiding the recreation board.
Recreation board members said they would welcome the village's support.
Councilman Jeff Coleman has been working to get the village involved. He said the recreation board has been privately funded and has struggled to find the monetary resources needed to provide athletic activities for the area's children.
He said neighboring communities are more involved in funding recreational activities than the village is now.
"The burden has been on the parents of kids who play and the people who run the recreation board," Mr. Coleman said.
The village wouldn't contribute a "huge" amount, he said. "A little money goes a long way," he said. "This is not a money issue; this is a community issue."
One restriction the village may face is that its money may only be used for activities within its borders.
Burton Law Director Todd Hicks said the village has the ability to restrict the use of any funds given to the recreation board. He said the village could also make its contribution contingent on receiving matching funds from Burton, Claridon and Troy townships, which also participate in the recreational activities provided by the organization.
Mr. Coleman said he also would like to see the addition of adult offerings, if possible.
He said a previous joint recreation board was comprised of 15 members, three of whom were appointed by council. He said the village and townships do not necessarily have to follow that same board makeup.
Mr. Fischbach said he favors the village's participation, noting that it would have a positive impact for the area's children to more involved in sports. "Personally, I'm in favor of re-creating the recreation board," he said.
Ken Sinkenbring, president of the recreation board, who attended the meeting along with board members Jared McCartney and Tim Spangler, said he "definitely" would like to have the village and townships become more involved.
Mr. McCartney said there was a belief that the pay-to-play system would work, but that mindset has changed, because some parents are unable to pay for their children to be involved. He said children in the Berkshire area get substantially less time for practices than their counterparts in Middlefield.
The communities must work together to make the programs work, Mr. McCartney said. "If we don't, we're just shooting ourselves in the foot."
Mr. Hicks said the village's first step is to approach neighboring townships to determine their interest in assisting the recreation board. After that, he said, a new board makeup could be determined.
Mr. Coleman asked for legislation by next month to establish the new joint recreation board.
Mr. Fischbach said he and Mr. Coleman would approach neighboring townships to enlist their support.
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