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Parks director reports spring program growth, new batting cage and pool maintenance plans
Summary
Lennox's parks director reported registration numbers for youth sports, plans for a double batting cage installation by May 1, pool repainting in early April, and ongoing staffing and volunteer recruitment.
Christie, the Parks and Recreation director, gave the board a seasonal operations update, reporting registration, facility and staffing developments across parks and recreation programs.
On youth sports, Christie said soccer registration has closed and the league will start April 5 with Saturday morning sessions; she reported current soccer registrations as 11 players, compared with 105 last year and 66 the prior year. Baseball registrations were lower than the previous year (38 this year vs. 82 last year), with most of that decline in the 12‑and‑under group; Christie attributed some declines to players choosing tournament teams instead of recreational leagues. Softball registration was at 114 compared with 145 last year; the board agreed to extend the softball deadline until noon Friday to capture late signups.
Christie said the new double batting cage will be installed this spring, with a goal date of May 1, weather permitting. She reported the city supported the project and referenced a $15,000 figure in that context. The contractor and staff have staked the site and will call utility locators (811) prior to installation.
Pool maintenance will include repainting during the week of April 7–8 and repainting of the diving board, and Christie said the hiring process to fill seasonal positions is underway. The board discussed volunteer support for park maintenance — watering and weeding — and Christie said staff are exploring an online reservation or scheduling system (Google Docs) to help coaches reserve field time and coordinate practice schedules.
Members also discussed bandshell upgrades, with the board reporting a goal of early June for completion, and continue to recruit seasonal groundkeepers age 16 and older. Christie asked board members to help spread word of open positions.
The board did not take formal action on facilities in this meeting; Christie said staff will return with updates as contractors and schedules firm up.
