P&R board seeks volunteers

An agreement between the Freeman Southwest Family YMCA and the city for softball/baseball summer programs will go before the city council next week, but volunteer recruitment is top on the minds of the Neosho Parks and Recreation board.

A lease agreement for the next two seasons of summer ball, with an option for a third, has been finalized by the board and YMCA.

Neosho will maintain and mow and prep the five softball / baseball fields leased to the Y, maintain facilities during the week, cover electricity costs and organize adult leagues.

The YMCA will be in charge of youth leagues and is responsible for clean up on weekends as no city staff will be available. They will have the ability to hang donor signage and have exclusive rights to the concessions area with the provision that after they cover their expenses 50 percent of concession profit will be donated to the city for field repair, maintenance and improvements.
After the lease agreement is finalized by the city next week the YMCA will begin looking for sponsors. Sign ups will begin in mid-April.

Volunteer gardeners
A list has been complied of city gardens that could be tended by volunteers; mowing help would be case-by-case based on equipment. Residents questioned the board as to why they need a volunteer program and how they plan to get widespread involvement.

Parks and Rec Board President Scott Swope pointed out that although the department has had a 40 percent cut in personnel, there are the same number of flower boxes downtown and plants will still need tending.

“The parks are the city’s – they’re ours,” Swope said. “All of us are the city so it kind of our responsibility to step up when things like this come up.”

It is places like Big Spring Park that he sees as the pride and joy of Neosho, Swope said.

“Everything is going to get mowed whether we get volunteers or not,” said board member Steve Hart, likening the idea to the Adopt-a-Highway program.

Asked about liability for volunteer mowers, Hart took a wait and see attitude.

“We need to worry about getting the job done and worry about that when the time comes,” he said.

Board member Rhonda Warren said she wants residents to take ownership, but perhaps businesses could take on the larger mowing projects. No individuals or organizations have responded yet to the group’s call.

“The word is just now getting out about this,” Swope said.

Future plans could expand, Warren said.

“I love the idea of getting to the place where we could have a spring clean up day,” she said.

This year, area teens have slated a day to help the department in mid-May.

Board members discussed getting area gardeners involved and perhaps setting up a training area where they could teach care of flowers and vegetables. The board asked Parks and Rec Director Todd Banes to prepare information for the upcoming business and industry show.

Improvements
Funds budgeted for the RV park will be reassigned. RV park expenses were rerouted to part time payroll and the board anticipates that funds set aside to repair the RV park pavilion will be released back into their budget for general improvements. The building was torn down this winter.
Improvements including picnic tables and barbeque grills in North Morse Park were discussed. Banes requested additional trash cans as city staff will not be available to empty them on weekends. The hole that remains at the pavilion spot will be filled with excess dirt from the nearby sewer improvement project where workers are installing new lines. A lumpy, unused field on the soccer grounds will also receive some fill in an effort to make it a practice field.