Proposals to improve operations and save money at Slippery Rock Community Park were met Tuesday with negative response.

SLIPPERY ROCK — Two changes proposed by the borough to improve operations and save money at the community park were met Tuesday with negative response.

The current park agreement establishes a board with representatives appointed by the borough, Slippery Rock Township and Slippery Rock School District and also sets annual financial contributions from each.

Officials from the three boards have been working in recent months to come up with a new agreement that would allow the park to operate better and more efficiently.

One request made by the borough was that the township, borough and school district each increase their annual contribution to adjust for the consumer price index. Since 1998, the borough has contributed $25,000, the township $20,000 and the school district $25,000 annually. The district also provides facilities for some programs and the borough and township handle certain maintenance duties and other costs. The park’s operating budget for 2015 is $292,000, park manager Mary Messer said.

The school district responded to the request saying that it is unable to contribute additional money. At the meeting Tuesday, council president Regina Greenwald read a portion of a letter from school Supt. Alfonso Angelucci.

“We will continue to respond to the needs of the park programs as they are communicated by the park director on an annual basis. This has been a successful procedure in the past and we would like to continue our communicative relationship regarding park programs in this manner,” the letter said.

The borough was also considering the possibility of hiring a new maintenance person whose duties would include working at the park and all around the borough.

But this would take some work away from the park’s full-time maintenance and custodial employee, potentially turning it into a part-time position, park manager Mary Messer said.

Council member Bob Bowser said he was opposed to making a change that would cost someone their job, unless the borough could guarantee that employee a job elsewhere.

“If we can’t hire him from the park and give him the job here in the borough, you’re tossing him,” Bowser said. “That’s not good will.”

Greenwald said the idea behind the proposal to restructure the staff was to allow Messer to focus solely on park programming and not have to worry about facility and maintenance issues.

Council member Ron Steele said the borough has been wanting to hire an additional employee for years, but it needs to make some tough decisions to move forward.

“We’ve got to decide who’s going to do what, where, when and for how much,” Steele said.

Discussion about the park agreement will continue at the borough’s meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Greenwald said.