A consultant updating the Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District on its community-center planning work told the board the district has collected nearly 1,400 responses to a public survey and is moving forward with public outreach and a needs assessment.

"At this point, we have almost 1,400 responses to the community survey," the consultant said, and noted the study team has completed stakeholder focus sessions and a site tour of comparable facilities. The consultant said two stakeholder working sessions were scheduled; one was canceled and another drew about seven participants who mostly emphasized outdoor, lighted fields and turf as top priorities.

Board members pressed for broader outreach after hearing the limited participation in focus groups. One member said turnout among volunteer youth-sports organizers is low because those volunteers balance day jobs and existing commitments, and asked whether additional outreach would be arranged to reach indoor-program stakeholders such as theater and other non‑sport groups. The consultant said the team had invited a range of organizations (football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, cheer, boosters, baseball, softball, theater, hockey, wrestling) and agreed to pursue additional contact efforts for nonattending groups.

The consultant summarized lessons from a site visit to an Upper Arlington community center, describing a much larger, multi‑floor facility financed in part with city funding and tax‑increment financing. The consultant said those centers found proximity to schools boosted youth participation and that different staffing models (city staff vs. contract operators) affect operations and costs.

The consultant said the project team has scheduled a public meeting for 02/11/2026 at Sunbury United Methodist Church to present survey results and engage the community on programming and siting criteria; the team also plans a subsequent public engagement when it delivers a draft final report, expected in March or April. The board set its next regular meeting for March 9 at 6:00 p.m. to stay informed of the consultant's timeline.

The update included budget and timeline context: the consultant said conceptual drawings and cost estimating are budgeted to allow an assessment of whether a November ballot effort would be feasible, noting filings related to a ballot measure typically must be completed by August and that a campaign committee separate from the district would be needed to promote any levy. The consultant confirmed the district will provide a summary of stakeholder notes and a survey results document to the board.

Next steps: the consulting team will share detailed focus‑group notes and a survey-summary document with the board and host the scheduled public meeting to gather wider public input.