Community council hires consultant for park study
ADAMS TWP — The Mars Area Community Council's Parks and Recreation Committee will do a feasibility study on forming an intermunicipal parks and recreation group.
Mark Palerino, a state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources representative, on Thursday night told municipal leaders that the committee had received an $11,000 state grant to complete the one-year study.
The study will explore available parks and recreation programs, facilities and services in each of the four municipalities in the Mars School District, plus those of the school district itself, in an effort to combine them to provide recreation to that area.
Those attending Thursday's meeting included three school board members, two Middlesex Township parks and recreation committee members, a Mars Borough Council member, an Adams Township parks and recreation committee member, and the leaders of youth sports organizations.
On Palerino's recommendation, the group hired Pashek and Associates consultant Bob Good to do the study, and named school board President Kimberly Geyer as the group's contact person.
The group agreed to meet with Good six to eight times over the next year, including the first meeting of the new committee at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 at the school district.
Good told those in attendance to get two elected officials from their respective municipalities to serve on the committee.
Palerino said the state will largely bow out of the process until the study is complete, but will provide support to Good if needed. He said four intermunicipal parks and recreation organizations are functioning in Pennsylvania.
He said once the study is completed, the committee will decide whether or not to pursue the project. However, he said intergovernmental cooperation is the best way to offer optimum recreation programs.
"You are able to engage more people, run more programs, and get more grant money," Palerino said.
Should the project move forward after the study, the group will apply for another state grant to fund a year's salary for a park director to get programs up and running.
