The Polk County Recreation Department was a topic of discussion throughout the Polk County Board of Commissioners’ June 6 meeting at the Saluda School auditorium, even though the topic being discussed had been removed from the agenda.
Commissioner Ted Owens originally placed an item on the agenda titled “recreation department.” He then removed the item, saying the issue had been settled.
Owens said he placed the item on the agenda after being contacted by a couple of residents who were concerned that the recreation department concession stand was not open on a recent game day. He said he later spoke with someone who said they would handle the issue, but by then the agenda had been completed.
Commissioner Cindy Walker suggested in the future all items placed on the agenda should include an explanation.
Owens said he put the item on the agenda with little information because it was close to the deadline for adding agenda items.
A recreation department employee said the concession stand was not open because the department had not been notified games were being held that day. The employee said the concession stand was given a schedule of games at the beginning of the season and updates have not been provided.
A few people spoke during public comments about the issue, including some who traveled to the meeting specifically to speak on the recreation department agenda item.
One speaker included LuAnn Bryan of the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), which some people said had provided grant money used to construct some of the recreation park.
Bryan expressed concern that the baseball fields are not being used according to the grant specifications, but it was discovered that the baseball fields were not constructed using PARTF grant funding.
Others attending suggested organizations using the county’s baseball fields be charged a fee, similar to how Harmon Field charges organizations for the use of its fields.
Commissioners have not discussed the issue again since the June 6 meeting.