City Of Milton: Park Construction Progress, Public Art, Rangers All On PRAB Agenda

Press release from the City of Milton:

07/14/2021 3:09 PM

Milton’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board returns to City Hall on Thursday for a wide-ranging meeting touching on everything from park rangers to public art to softball and more.

The July 15 meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. People can attend in person or watch the proceedings live on the City’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAvDoQudquXDu3GKnZ2BcgA).

As is customary, this meeting of PRAB (as this group is known) will kick-off with a “public comment” period when citizens can share their thoughts generally on parks and recreation-related matters. Reports will then be given on the Department and its program partners’ various offerings, such as lacrosse, football, tennis, arts and adult programming.

This will be followed by the prospect of having Junior Park Rangers in Milton. Many national and state parks have Junior Ranger programs for children to engage in hands-on educational activities, learn about the surrounding natural environment, and earn badges. This is a progress report for PRAB to gather feedback.

PRAB members then will receive an update on the Parks and Recreation Wall of Fame, which honors people who have excelled as participants, coaches and contributors in Milton parks and recreation programs (both before and after the City’s incorporation). Inductees were recognized in 2019 and 2020, with their names now displayed on a wall at Bell Memorial Park. PRAB members are now considering nominations for the third Wall of Fame class who should be honored this fall. They’ll talk about the process and qualification parameters for future classes at this meeting as well.

Also on Thursday, PRAB will learn about a potential partnership with the YMCA to help fill a gap in the Milton Parks and Recreation Department’s fitness offerings. City staff have been in discussions with YMCA officials in Georgia about their instructors possibly providing yoga, Zumba, “boot camps” and similar fitness classes for Milton residents.

Softball has been an ongoing topic in Milton, since the City does not currently offer such a program or have field space to do so. City staff will brief the Board on other opportunities for the City to support its softball-playing residents.

PRAB next will talk about the potential process of installing art in Milton parks on the heels of a donation request recently received by the City. Promoting and displaying public art is mentioned many times in the final draft of Milton’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, including as a “priority project.” So having such art in Milton parks could align with that plan.

City staff will then brief the board on the following:

After Thursday’s meeting, PRAB is scheduled to convene again the evening of August 19.

This press release was produced by the City of Milton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.