Tuesday, January 11, 2000
Mason adds parks staff to cope with growth
Recreation programs expanding in city
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — The city has created two jobs to expand development of adult and youth recreational activities in Ohio's second-fastest growing city.
Mason City Council on Monday approved funding for a recreation supervisor and a maintenance supervisor for the city's parks and recreation department. The additions will bump the department's staffing from six full-time employees to eight.
The move comes at at time when Mason is experiencing unprecedented residential and business growth. In 1999, parks and recreation officials reported that participation in recreation activities such as youth football, baseball and soccer was at an all-time high.
“Our recreation programs have grown exponentially over the past 18 months, and that has put a tremendous strain on our recreation programmer,” said Paul Walsh, parks director. “We've added facilities and expanded park land over the past year, and with plans for the addition of a recreation center, we can easily justify the need for additional staff.”
The recreation supervisor will be responsible for programming, seeking grants and sponsorships for events, athletic field scheduling, creating and implementing new programs and events and also marketing. City officials estimated the position would pay about $19 an hour.
The maintenance supervisor's duties will include the upkeep of all park property and equipment, buying maintenance supplies, and other administrative tasks. The position will pay about $18 an hour.
City officials said they hope to have the positions filled by late spring.
The Mason Parks and Recreation Department, which operates on a $3.2 million budget, spends about $700,000 a year to operate about 250 acres of parkland in six parks. They are:
• Corwin M. Nixon Park, 6249 Mason-Montgomery Road. A 50-acre park with lighted ball diamonds, soccer fields, and playground equipment.
• Heritage Oak Park, 5001 U.S. 42 North; 78 acres with basketball and tennis courts, playground equipment, ball diamonds, soccer fields and a volleyball court.
• Pine Hill Lakes Park, 211 Kings Mills Road; 78 acres with playground equipment, 2 miles of nature trails, two fishing lakes, an amphitheater and a wooded area.
• Meadows Park, Lindemann Lane; 7 acres with a large playground area and a basketball court.
• Thomas P. Quinn Park, Tradewind Drive; 15 acres with a handicap-accessible playground, basketball court, tennis courts and soccer fields.
• Frank Hosea Woods, off Mason Road in Hickory Woods subdivision; 9 acres of wooded area with walking and bike trails.
In other business, council approved plans for an upscale industrial business park on 105 acres east of Ohio 741 and south of Bunnell Road.
The proposed concept plan consist of 15 lots of varying size. Five lots are being reserved for corporate headquarters or light/hi-tech industries, eight others for smaller individual companies and the remaining two for larger users of office and campuslike hi-tech industries.
Mason City Manager Scot Lahrmer said the property is not yet ready for development and could sit anywhere from five to 12 years before any businesses locate there.
He sees schools as central to community
Impact will be felt, from Looney Tunes to Time
36th straight for the Maisonette
Visions of answers dance in their heads
Bethesda Oak to close doors Feb. 4
FBI checks possibility of sabotage in tank spill
Mason mother charged
450 students march with signs and souls in pursuit of peace
Tornado brings disaster declaration; college closed
Butler County plans memorial to officers who died
Fire delays Mason post office opening
Fort Thomas delays bids on middle school for week
OSHA studying collapse incident
Renovators 'hired' at county jail
Courts put pinch on sheriff
McKee runs again for state House
Ten criteria approved for Adamowski's job review
Ex-worker sues attorney general
GET TO IT
Junior high kids paired with NKU staff
Mason adds parks staff to cope with growth
Mid-Miami League asked to readmit Lebanon teams
TRISTATE DIGEST
