Oconee County Parks And Recreation Department Director Presses Board Of Commissioners For More Resources

Oconee County is at a decision point, Parks and Recreation Director John Gentry told the Board of Commissioners last (Tuesday) night.

The commissioners must decide if the Parks and Recreation Department should continue both to manage facilities and to manage youth and adult programs, or should the department play a lesser role, perhaps only managing facilities.

If the county is to continue managing programs, Gentry said, the Commission has to provide additional full-time programming staff, as the existing staff already is overextended.

Gentry’s request this spring for three full-time positions--two additional program coordinators and a park services field supervisor--was turned down by the Board of Commissioners when it approved the current fiscal year budget.

Commissioner Mark Saxon and Commission Chairman Melvin Davis thanked Gentry for his presentation last night, but none of the commissioners gave any indication of a willingness to spend more money on park personnel.

For more on the meeting, which included a number of important discussions, please go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: County's Bark Park Improvement Plans.