Carbon Recreation updating guidelines

By Sun Advocate

Carbon County Recreation is currently reviewing and updating its bylaws to assure that it is in compliance with changing state regulations.
The recreation department is also considering a name change that would more accurately reflect the agency’s status as a community funded, individually operating recreation agency rather than a Carbon County department.
A possible name the board has come up with to replace Carbon County Recreation is Community Recreation.
For more than 15 years, Carbon Recreation has been a joint effort of the County, the local school district, College of Eastern Utah, Price, Helper, Wellington, East Carbon City and Sunnyside.
Prior to the merger of the seven entities, the partners offered individual recreation programs.
It was decided, however, that combining the resources of the individual groups would allow for residents of the area to have one, cohesive recreation source that could offer better and more extensive programs, pointed out Richard Tatton, Price city’s representative on the recreation board.
However, as more people have become involved, questions have arisen such as who the staff members are supposed to respond to, said Tatton. Because the funding comes from so many sources, the answer is not straightforward.
The funding responsibility of each area is determined by its population. Carbon County is the largest contributor of the group, with $64,000 going to the recreation program annually.
The county also acts as the recreation department’s fiscal agent.
Carbon School District contributes $56,100 a year, while Price City gives $21,000.
In addition, CEU adds $6,000 annually, Helper contributes $3,300, Wellington gives $3,000, East Carbon adds $1,100 and Sunnyside gives $1,000.
Funds for specific purposes are also given by the county and the school district. Carbon County earmarks $25,000 a year for the maintenance of the fairgrounds and $20,000 for the Light House alternative high school. The school district gives $22,500 for the Light House.
The annual funding from the seven entities goes toward the administrative costs of the department, such as employees, facility maintenance and other needs, while each recreational program offered by Carbon Recreation is self-sustaining. Participating numbers for each activity are estimated and the program fee is based on the amount needed for officials, team shirts and equipment. The format allows for the agency to keep the cost of its programs low, stated Frank Ori, assistant director for Carbon Recreation.
On occasion, major expenditures by Carbon County Recreation are supplemented by other government agencies. For example, $272,000 for the replacement of the lights and fence on the fairground ball diamonds was granted by the Community Impact Board. When the money did not stretch far enough to complete the fence, due to the high cost of steel, the Special Service District gave Carbon Recreation another $70,000 to complete the project.
Every area has a representative on the recreation board of directors, which oversees the operations of the recreation department and determine policy.
No matter what, though, Tatton indicated that neither the changes to the bylaws nor the name change being considered will affect the services offered by Carbon Rec.
“The function of Carbon County Recreation will remain the same,” he pointed out. “But there is idle conversation of a name change to make it more reflective of the community.”
Price has loaned its city attorney, Nick Sampinos, to oversee the rewrite of the bylaws and assure that the document is up to date with state laws and verbage. The revamp should be completed in January and the board will continue to look at the option to modify the department name, concluded Tatton.