Community Center reports steady programing; manager Margaret Donnelly to depart, hiring and maintenance work underway

Margaret Donnelly, community center and recreation programs manager, updated the commission on current activities at the Carbondale Community Center and on staffing changes.

Donnelly said broomball and youth hockey are wrapping up for the season and that regular programming — fitness classes, pickleball leagues, drop‑in basketball, youth climbing, taekwondo, adult volleyball and other programs — continues. Upcoming events include a puzzle‑and‑pie night (teams capped at 75) and a fashion show; facility rentals for the month included activity rooms, parties, a climbing‑wall rental, and a park rental. Donnelly said two quinceañera bookings already are on the calendar for the year.

On facilities, staff replaced a compressor sector of the HVAC and planned a lighting replacement in the gym on the Friday/Saturday after the meeting. Donnelly said the downtown rink liner is newer and tolerates some warm nights better than the larger rink, which had liner leaks last year and will require a new liner next season.

Donnelly said she has obtained a visa and will be leaving for New Zealand; staff will begin hiring to replace program instructors and day‑to‑day program leadership. Commissioners and staff discussed the need to recruit fitness instructors and the difficulty of hiring experienced group‑fitness leaders locally.

Separately, trustees have hired a new full‑time boards and commissions clerk, Ally Wettstein, who starts Tuesday and will be trained as available; staff said they will coordinate training and welcome her to future meetings.