York County supervisors hear reestablished parks and recreation advisory board introduce priorities

Nicholas Borelli, chairman of the reestablished Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, told the York County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 7 that the advisory group intends to act as a “vital link” between residents and the board as it implements a new countywide parks master plan.

The advisory board’s statement to supervisors emphasized open and transparent communication, periodic appearances before the board and outreach to residents to gather feedback, Borelli said. The board is working with McGill — the county’s consultant for a comprehensive parks master plan — and expects that empirical data from the consultant will guide priority-setting for facilities and programs.

“Since we’re newly reformed, we just want to make ourselves known to you and emphasize really that our intent is to play an active role in supporting parts of our system,” Borelli said. He identified the master plan as the advisory board’s immediate focus and said the group expects to return with more substantive recommendations after the consultant’s analysis is further developed.

Supervisors welcomed the presentation and encouraged the advisory board to lead site tours showing newer facilities and improvements across county parks. Several supervisors urged the board to consider programming and access for both children and older residents.

No formal action or vote was taken at the Oct. 7 meeting. The advisory board listed members in attendance and said it will continue periodic briefings to the Board of Supervisors as the McGill-led planning process proceeds.

Looking ahead, Borelli and supervisors said they expect the advisory board to bring more detailed priorities and data-driven recommendations once the consultant’s work and a recent customer-engagement survey are fully analyzed.