Parks center of attention for Antrim supervisors

The Antrim Township Board of Supervisors met with the Park Committee March 13 to discuss plans for the park system, especially Antrim Township Community Park. As a result of the worksession before the regular board meeting, the committee was charged with developing a job description for a park director, likely a part-time seasonal position. It will also compile request-for-proposal examples so the township can find someone to manage the concession stand. The information was expected to be ready by the March 27 meeting.

Committee members Mike Still, Mike Montedoro, Georgia Barvinchack, Nate Bacon, Mark Goldbach and Tom Moore addressed supervisors James Byers, John Alleman, Pat Heraty and Fred Young III. Rick Baer was absent. Township employee Lynda Beckwith was also present as the liaison for park business.

In conjunction with hiring someone to help with the scheduling of park facility reservations and maintaining the property, the committee planned to define daily, monthly, seasonal and annual duties for the person. Byers doubted Antrim staff could do much more.

"Right now our staff is really overwhelmed, and it has been for a while," he said. He was also interested in security at ATCP.

Bacon wanted to establish a direct line of communication between the park committee, supervisors and employees. He asked that a procedure be put in place in case quick action needed to be made on any "hot button issue".

"I want to be proactive," he explained. "I know you guys communicate amongst yourselves."

He hoped the committee could be included when quick decisions were required regarding incidents at the park, equipment needs and other issues.

Antrim administrator Brad Graham reported that P. Joseph Lehman Engineers had given a quote for work on Martin's Mill Bridge. Antrim received a $700,000 grant in December from the Federal Highway Administration, and $245,000 in 2008 through Rep. Bill Shuster's office. The township has already spent $43,000 in engineering fees for the earlier grant, geared toward repairs and insect control. If the larger grant was accepted, more money for engineering would have to be spent. That project would be used for more structural fixes, including waving of the bridge.

"We need to accept the money, or we don't," said Graham. "But that doesn't mean the project has to be so big."

The board asked that a Lehman representative attend a meeting soon to explain their plans.

In other business, the board authorized zoning officer Sylvia House to send a notice of violation to the residents of 518 Hilltop Circle. Her department had been investigating junked vehicles since December. She said it had happened before and "it's not going to go away unless we take action."