Identifying the community’s recreational needs, then developing a plan is the goal of an upcoming public meeting between the county and city.
The meeting between the City of Elizabethton’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Carter County Parks and Recreation Committee will offer residents the opportunity to further communicate their goals for recreational development. It will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at Valley Forge Baptist Church.
This input combined with the results of a recent survey to city and county residents will guide budgeting decisions in the approaching fiscal year.
“There were no real surprises in the survey, but it demonstrates that people use and appreciate our parks and would love to have more,” said Carter County Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Ken Gouge. “This is specifically to get public comment, so we cordially invite everyone to come visit with us.”
The county-initiated survey was distributed by mail to residents in both the city and county to gather public opinion, Gouge. The results provide an incredible resource for Parks and Recreation Boards, Planning Commissions, City Council and County Commission as they allocate funds, he said.
“We’re really looking forward to it,” said Gouge. “We’ve gotten a lot of good ideas and are looking for both good ideas and criticisms. We want to make sure we get this right so we provide leaders the information they need to make good decisions,” said Gouge.
Elizabethton Director of Parks and Recreation Mike Mains said some projects up for consideration in the city include a sports complex with baseball and softball fields, a disc golf course, a dog park and a skate park, but those projects face the challenge of acquiring funding.
He said that while some existing facilities need maintenance like pavilions or trash can holders, this meeting is looking at a longer range of planning and development for resources.
“We hope to share ideas with each other at the meeting,” said Mains. “If there’s one entity that can work together, it’s recreation, because it’s something that we all do that makes a better way of life for everyone.”