Five Things You Missed at the Parks and Recreation Board Meeting

The Parks and Recreation board held their monthly meeting at the (CRC). Here are five items you missed if you didn't attend Tuesday night's meeting.

1. The playground at the Municipal Park
Each year, the Parks and Recreation department receives $25,000 for park renovation or repair costs. The board discussed on Tuesday night, which project needs the money and attention in 2011. Many members agreed, the playground equipment at the Municipal Park looks tired and dated. 

"We need to bring it up to speed," said Paul Besterman, Director of Recreation and Leisure Services. "We should highly consider using the money to update."

"There's always a line for swings," board member Kelly Bakayza added.

The chairman of the board played devil's advocate.

"To shut that (Municipal Park's playground) down for months could be a big burden," Roger Hartung said. 

Hartung said the board would have to find the best way to renovate the park during its off-season. 

The board figures the earliest the construction could be finished would be spring 2012. 

The issue will be on the agenda for the next meeting on March 22.

2. Township's new Forestry Administrator
Gary Schafer, Upper St. Clair's new Forestry Administrator, attended Tuesday night's meeting and introduced himself. 

The Public Works department hired Schafer last month. Schafer is a graduate of Penn State University and has a long resume of landscaping experience.

Schafer said his biggest challenge at the moment, is learning about the township's plants before the sun breaks and the plants grow.

"It's tough in eight inches of snow," Schafer joked. 

3. Community & Recreation Center membership update
Besterman updated the board on the CRC membership. He said the current membership is about 8,500. Twenty-three percent of the members are non-residents, including members from Peters, South Fayette, Bridgeville, Mt. Lebanon and even Green Tree. Besterman added that there were 2,000 members in the building on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

4. Topics that could be discussed with the Board of Commissioners on Monday
Besterman and three board members will hold a public meeting with the Board of Commissioners at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28. There are a number of topics that could be discussed at the meeting including the membership update and Community Day. 

Another hot topic to be discussed at Monday's meeting, . Many members and some officials want to provide the programs for senior citizens at the CRC, however, the attorney who represents the township said officials need to be careful about getting into an exclusive contract. 

In addition, the board may discuss concession enhancements at Monday's meeting. Besterman said ever since AVI Foodsystems starting providing fresh foods at the CRC, revenues have increased. The board would like to discuss ways to provide more concession options outside by the pool area in the summer.

5. Miracle Field update
Besterman said the community reaction to the has been very positive. Construction could begin in Boyce Mayview Park in the next month or so. The target completion date is spring 2012.