A “disconnection” between the Park Board and the school corporation was brought to the attention of the Winamac Town Council last week.
Park Board President Courtney Poor came before the council last Monday to discuss a number of matters related to the park. One item he brought up was a perceived lack of labor sharing cooperation from school officials to assist with projects, specifically ones related to the concession stand area and the ball diamonds.
Poor cited a specific instance where Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo requested maintenance assistance from the school when a toilet malfunctioned and needed to be replaced at the concession stand restrooms. Poor said they refused to help.
He said their main concern is that the town facilities are being used for free and there isn’t a willingness to provide “sweat equity” and help out when it’s needed. The park board is hoping that town officials can step in to assist them with getting this message across.
Poor explained, “We need the muscle of the Town Board to go to the school board and say ‘Hey, we need a little help here or we’re going to have to revisit some things.”
Council President Tom Murray said he held some discussions with school officials earlier this year. Poor indicated that it may make a stronger case if their request to provide assistance is on the record during a meeting.
No official actions were taken on the matter but council members thanked Poor for providing his input.
The information in this article was gathered thanks to meeting minutes provided by Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger and audio from Town Manager Brad Zellers.
