The Hollister Parks and Recreation Commission has been short on
money for years. Now it’s short on commissioners, too.
Hollister – The Hollister Parks and Recreation Commission has been short on money for years. Now it’s short on commissioners, too.
Community Services Director Clay Lee said the commission lost two members earlier this year. With a third commissioner occupied with personal issues, the group hasn’t had a quorum of available members lately, and Lee has had to cancel four monthly meetings in a row.
“We definitely need the help,” said Commission Chairman Don Kelley.
Lee said he isn’t sure why membership has dropped off so suddenly because the Parks and Recreation Commission – which advises the City Council – used to be one of the most popular commissions in Hollister.
Part of the problem, he said, may be “disenchantment” because of lacking funds. Since the state-imposed building moratorium began in 2002, Hollister hasn’t collected any park impact fees, leaving the park fund empty.
Former Commissioner Adam Breen, who left in June, agreed that the financial situation was discouraging.
“I think the commission is limited in what it can do when everything is just cut, cut, cut,” he said.
But Breen said the biggest reason for his departure was a lack of time. Breen is a high school teacher, sits on a committee at his son’s school, sits on the Little League board of directors, is a coach and writes a column for the Free Lance.
“If I had more time, I’d still be on there,” Breen said.
And despite the lack of money, Lee said there’s plenty for the commission to do.
“They won’t just be twiddling their thumbs,” he said. “We need to start planning for things down the road.”
Kelley, who also chairs the county Parks and Recreation Commission, said the city commission is working on important projects, including the preparation of a master plan for Vista Park Hill.
Parks commissioners need to become more involved as the city struggles with staffing and service cuts, Kelley said.
“The days of the commission just being a simple liaison gathering information from the public to present to staff, that needs to be expanded to going out and taking a load off of staff,” he said.
