Park partners program almost ready to go to Decatur City Council

May 21—The new park partners program, an idea of the Parks & Recreation Board, is finally through the Legal Department and almost ready for Decatur City Council consideration, officials said.

This a proposed program in which businesses and organizations volunteer to step in and help Parks & Recreation with upkeep of specific parks.

Parks & Recreation Director Jason Lake suggested early in the process he has a list of 10 city parks that maintenance supervisors said need work.

Those suggestions include painting and cleaning of playgrounds, basketball courts, picnic tables and pavilions, as well as landscaping, he said.

Board chairman Shane Stewart said Monday the board hasn't set a name for the program, whether it's adopt-a-park or park partners, but said they want it to be like the Partners In Education program for the local schools that the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce sponsors.

Board member Ronnie Dukes said at the board's May 7 meeting that it began working on the program almost a year ago as its first project since the board's re-formation.

"We're through Legal and (City Attorney) Herman (Marks)," Dukes said. "It's basically like Louisville, Kentucky's, ordinance, with some changes in wording to make it fit Decatur and Alabama."

Stewart said the main difference he saw when reviewing Legal's changes involved making sure the volunteers have insurance coverage in case of an accident so the city has no liability.

He said the difference in the two cities' programs is Louisville focuses only on businesses while Decatur includes businesses and nonprofits.

Dukes said the Parks & Rec board is as an advisory board so it doesn't have the authority to move forward with the program, "but we can vote to make a recommendation to adopt the partnership program that would be supervised by the Parks & Recreation board and administrated by Parks & Recreation personnel."

Once approved by the City Council, he said the board will start implementing the plan.

Point Mallard Park Manager Stephanie McLain on Monday said that a department administrative assistant is working on the resolution. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for June 3 at 6 p.m.

Dukes said he thinks there are five or six businesses or organizations already interested in participating.

Stewart added that he thinks they can get more. He said he's been waiting for program approval before more possible groups are added. The keys are timing and sustainability after the first year. They also want to recognize the participants in some way in the future, he said.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432