News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
White County is considering its options to create a new recreation director position for the county.
Budget Committee Member Derrick Hutchings said finding a recreation director is the next step because the county has a master recreation plan but no one to manage it. Hutchings said he wants to start the process as soon as possible so the position can be filled by next July or August.
“We need to show some people that are willing to donate some money that we’re serious,” Hutchings said. “And if they do work at the ball fields that we’re going to have somebody to oversee that. And if we wait ’til July or August to look at hiring somebody then it’s going to be September or October before we hire somebody.”
County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said he will begin searching for a recreation director and money can be appropriated if he finds a good candidate before the next fiscal year. Robinson said the county also needs to consider which grants it wants to pursue as hiring a director before applying could make the county ineligible for some recreation grants.
“Just let me get to work on it and fill those voids,” Robinson said. “Even if y’all voted tonight to hire somebody, odds are it probably ain’t going to be done by next month anyway unless just the right person come in. Let me go ahead and start the process of what we would have been doing if we were going to hire.”
Robinson said it would work best for the county’s internal operations if a new director was hired at the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. Robinson said he believes hiring a part-time recreation director before then is unlikely to hurt the county’s grant opportunities.
Steering Committee A Member Becky Golden said the local little league plans to start late March, meaning there will not be a recreation director hired in time to assist it. Golden said there are a number of parents who work on the fields to prepare them for the season.
“We have a plan to kind of help, get some water off the (baseball) fields,” Highway Superintendent Jerry Sawyer said. “We can some minor things to adjust for now. But when (Waste Management Area Post Collection Manager Steven Clark) was there we talked about some big picture stuff. We can cut some curbs down and try to get some of that water off of the infields and do some minor stuff to get these kids playing ball. We can definitely help do that for now, but I’m one hundred percent for a parks and rec director, especially if Waste Management is willing to jump on board to help us.”
Golden said Waste Management has said it would help the county develop its recreational complex if the company can be assured that the site will be regularly maintained. Golden said there is a growing number of events in the area that also need someone to coordinate them such as disc golf tournaments.
