Politics & Government

Parks and Rec Department Unsure What to Make of District's Plan

Director indicated the department is taking a wait-and-see approach after school board approves Greenfield School District motion to offer similar programs.

The Greenfield Parks and Recreation Department will, for now, operate business as usual in light of the Greenfield School District’s decision to launch recreational programs that some view as competition for those the city already offers.

The Greenfield School Board approved the district to at a meeting Monday. Included are adult softball and volleyball leagues, which the Parks and Recreation Department already offers.

“Without knowing exactly what programs they’re talking about and how they’re formatted, it’s hard to answer that,” Parks and Recreation Director Scott Jaquish said when asked how his department would be affected by the school board’s vote.

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Jaquish said his department has already made some permit requests for use of district facilities for spring and summer programs and will continue to do so until March 15, a long-standing artificial deadline between the department and district.

Those permits include use of the high school pool and various playgrounds throughout the district.

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“We’re hoping those (permits) can continue to follow the path they have in the past and that permits are approved for the use of the pool and other facilities for the programs we have offered and will continue to offer,” Jaquish said. “Greenfield School District and Whitnall School District have been our partners in providing community space for us to provide these programs and we hope that continues.”

At the board meeting, board president Bruce Bailey voiced concerns over what he characterized as lack of cooperation and communication between the district and the Parks and Recreation Department. Superintendent Conrad Farner disagreed saying, “We’ve been working around them. We’ve been talking to them about their schedule. We’ve been trying to do things in cooperation with them.”

Jaquish said he and Farner have not spoken for several weeks but that his staff has had conversations with . Jaquish said he would welcome an opportunity to discuss the situation further with Farner.

“It would be in the best interests of everyone involved to sit down to see what the best roles for each of us are and how we can collaborate even more than we do,” Jaquish said. “We certainly understand their potential financial situation. The city is in the same boat and it doesn’t behoove anyone, especially the taxpayer, to not look to each other and try to help each other in any way we can. That has been the district’s stance and our stance, with both Greenfield and Whitnall.”


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