New commission of nine members to create county parks plan
County parks in San Benito could get a lot more fun for visitors
in the coming years.
New commission of nine members to create county parks plan
County parks in San Benito could get a lot more fun for visitors in the coming years.
San Benito has five county parks, including two small neighborhood parks – Quail Hollow and Oak Creek Parks. The list extends to the San Justo Reservoir, which is currently closed for the winter, and the County Historical Park. The potential of existing parks and new parks is the focus of a new ordinance being reviewed by the San Benito County Board of Supervisors that would create a nine-seat parks and recreation commission.
The board is posed to adopt the ordinance to create the commission Dec. 5.
“I would like to move forward quickly with this,” said Reb Monaco, District 4 supervisor and a member of the Memorial Park Commission. “Once the commission is formed they have a lot of work to accomplish.”
The Veteran’s Memorial Park currently has a commission made up of two supervisors and one representative from each of the veteran’s associations in the county.
The new commission would serve as an advisory group to the board on use of existing park facilities and the development of improvements as well as the need for future parks and possible locations. One of the first steps for the commission could be creating a parks and recreation master plan for the county, as well as reviewing park impact fees for future developments.
The commission would also create recreational activities and programs at the parks for all community members.
For instance, Santa Clara County has a long list of events throughout the year at many of their parks. Some November events include a day of Ohlone cuisine at Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch and a star party at Grant County Park with a local astronomy group.
One county resident at a recent supervisors’ meeting shared his thoughts on the commission.
“Thank you for moving forward with this,” he said. “The county will be changing and there will be a need for parks. As we create recreation facilities, we need to make sure the planning is there.”
The new commission will inlcude one member from each of the county districts, as recommended by each supervisor and one member to be appointed by a majority vote of the board. The other members will include one person recommended by the memorial park commission, one recommended by the San Benito County Historical Society, and two youth members, 18 years of age or younger.
The commission will connect with federal, state and local parks and recreation agencies to make the most of available parks facilities in the county, as well as work with other agencies to make use of park facilities. Some of the parks facilities are currently available for rental and a commission would be able to set guidelines for those continued usages.
While the commission members will not receive compensation for their service, they would be reimbursed for actual expenses, including travel, lodging and meals, incurred during official business. The annual cost to maintain the commission will be $50,000 to $90,000, to come from the general fund.
The money would cover the cost of reimbursements as well as clerical and technical support for the commission from county staff. The first phase of creating the commission includes appointment of commissioners, developing a meeting schedule and establishing by-laws. This phase will be supported by existing Internal Services and Public Works staff, according to Rich Inman, the directoer of internal services.
Melissa Flores can be reached at [email protected].
