Sep 27, 2017 3 min read

South Strabane Township supervisors on Tuesday eliminated the parks and recreation council.

Supervisors voted 4-1 to terminate the volunteer committee, effective Jan. 1, 2018.

The seven-member council maintains the township’s four parks and organizes a variety of recreational activities for township residents, including movie nights and bus trips to the Flight 93 Memorial and Quecreek Mine rescue site.

Supervisors said events scheduled through the end of the year will go on as planned.

Supervisors also discussed using money allotted to the parks and recreation council to hire a park director to schedule events and activities, but took no action.

By hiring a park director, said supervisor Ed Mazur, “You haven’t stopped having recreation, you just changed the way it’s carried out.”

Mazur said a park director would offer a more efficient way to handle park-related events and activities, and would also handle parks and recreation complaints.

Supervisor Laynee Zipko voted against eliminating the parks and recreation council.

The members of the parks and recreation council serve the board of supervisors in an advisory capacity.

Daryl Price, chairman of the parks and recreation board and a Republican candidate for supervisor who defeated Supervisors Jack Keisling and Mazur in the primary election in May, said he believes the action was politically motivated.

“It’s a shame because it’s going to hurt the residents. We do Easter egg hunts, community days, Christmas parties and other events for the children and residents in this community,” said Price. “I feel bad for the parks council because they all volunteer their time and work well together.”

Mazur denied the decision was a result of political ill will, and said he believes hiring a park manager will result in improved communication and efficiency.

The parks and recreation council operated with a budget of about $30,000 for 2017.

Price estimates the parks and recreation council will complete the year about $7,000 to $8,000 under budget.

In June, supervisors directed solicitor Dennis Makel to look into the distribution of a newsletter from the parks and recreation council on May 15 and 16, the date of the primary election, which included Price’s name in the return address; requested reimbursement of $2,209 from Price to cover the cost of printing and mailing the newsletter; and authorized an audit of the council’s funds from Jan. 1 to June 30.

At that time, supervisors voiced displeasure that Price’s name appeared on the newsletter twice, even though, they said, he was directed not to do so because it was to be distributed so close to election day.

Results of the audit showed no serious problems and included suggestions for tightening the parks and recreation council’s accounting practices,

In other action, supervisors approved sending a letter to the South Strabane Township Fire Department suggesting the department change its name on its charter to South Strabane Township Fire and Rescue Department because the department responds to calls that are not exclusively fire-related.

Supervisors also granted final subdivision approval for the revised Phase II of the Ryan Homes Bradford Run planned residential development along Country Club Road. The board also voted to grant preliminary and final land development approval for the townhome community.