The Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation board finalized its budget proposal during its monthly meeting Monday night at the Winchester-Clark County Health and Wellness Center.
The proposed budget is $630,300. The board is seeking $253,650 from the city and county governments, with the rest of the money being generated through facility and program fees.
Although the figure is about $5,000 more than last year’s budget, the board is requesting $700 less from each government entity.
The budget also includes a salary for an unfilled programmer/aquatics director position. The board eliminated a custodial position in the proposed budget.
“What the board is doing now is doing the custodial work on a team basis,” board chairman Charlie Eury said. “We are using several individuals who are temporary and not full-time. We found that works better because you need people at different times of the day.¿We have one person for eight hours a day and that doesn’t stretch out far enough. We have money for a custodial staff. It’s the same money, just a different way it’s presented in the budget.”
The budget also includes capital projects. The board is seeking money for a new furnace at College Park, the unit that controls temperatures in the restrooms on the first floor and new air conditioning units at College Park Library that are “breaking down.”
“We’re OK with heat, but the problem is in the summer time with air conditioning,” Eury said. “It’s not adequate upstairs and it really gets hot and pretty unbearable. We are looking at some form of replacement for those units. We probably won’t get all of it at one time, but we need to begin chipping away (at replacing the units).”
The board also is asking for additional funding to improve the parking lot at Lykins Park.
“It needs to be sealed again and it’s starting to get pretty rough,” Eury said. “It’s a project that’s been in our budget the last two or three years, but we just haven’t gotten the money to get it done.”
In other business the board:
— set the date for the annual Easter Egg hunt at College Park. The event, held in conjuction with Winchester Civitan, will be March 23 at 10 a.m. for children ages 12 and under and is a free community event. An underwater egg hunt at the pool is set for 1 p.m. March 30 at the Winchester-Clark County Health and Wellness Center. The pre-registration cost is $3 and $5 the day of the event.
— hired its seasonal staff with Michael Coston returning as day camp director. The board also approved advertising for summer day camp counselors. The camp begins runs for four weeks beginning the second week of June.
— learned of dates for lifeguard certification classes. The classes will be at College Park from 5-9 p.m. April 5 and from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. April 6, 7, 20 and 21. A¿second session will be from 5-9 p.m. May 3 and 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. May 4, 5, 11 and 12.
— awarded the bid to Bypass Rentals for summer portable toilets.
— set the date for the first “Run for Paws” 5K race to benefit the Clark County Animal Shelter. The race will be Sunday, May 19 at 2 p.m. at BCTC. The pre-registration cost is $20 with a donation item and $30 the day of the race. Participants in the Winchester Weigh Down program will be admitted free.
