The Trenton Park Board heard from the Green Hills Recreation Association at its meeting Wednesday evening regarding a potential agreement between the association and the Trenton Park Department.
Cara McClellan with the Green Hills Recreation Association said the potential agreement would involve waiving field fees for the group and not having the group fulfill all concession stand duties.
Taya Ray with GHRA noted the association currently pays $25 per game at Johnson, Griffin, and Burleigh Grimes fields and $35 per night for concessions. The group does not pay for games at Moberly and VanMeter fields. She said GHRA paid $1,800 for fields this season, but the Park Department actually owes the group $650 for concessions.
Ray reported the number of athletes playing in recreation leagues is consistent from year to year. There were 25 teams with 275 athletes in 2019. The association also hosted one tournament in 2019. She believes GHRA games help the Trenton economy because game attendees visit establishments in Trenton while they are in town.
Teams the Green Hills Recreation Association has included tee-ball; machine pitch; minor, little, and junior league; and various levels of softball. Teams that have played GHRA include Princeton, Jamesport, Mercer, Pattonsburg, Galt, Ridgeway, Cainsville, Eagleville, Winston, and Leon, Iowa.
McClellan said GHRA appreciates its partnership with the Park Department. She and Ray both suggested more of a variety of items be stocked at the concession stand. Ray believes more of a selection would mean more money could be made.
Park Board President Duane Helmandollar said the Park Department has to follow health codes. He noted he has been looking at the costs and fees for GHRA and would take the information presented Wednesday evening into consideration. The board did not take action on the potential agreement.
Trenton Family Aquatic Center Manager Alexis Whitney gave an end of season report for the pool. She said admission and concessions generated about $67,000 this year, which was down from the $73,000 from 2018.
Whitney noted there were only 73 days the pool was open this season compared to 86 days in 2018. Credit card use accounted for around $11,000 of the money made both this season and last season. Attendance for the whole 2019 season was 11,925 compared to 12,912 in 2018. Average daily attendance this season was 163, which was up from 150 last season.
The number of passes purchased for this season included 81 families, 40 single, and 23 laps and senior. Whitney reported there were 34 saves at the pool this season, but no one had to be back boarded in the water. A save is anytime a lifeguard has to jump into the water to save someone. There were 35 saves in 2018.
Two children fell off the ladder for the high dive and she recommended a pad be purchased to put under that area. Whitney noted there is only one lifeguard near the diving area and she would rather have that person watch the water than the ladder.
Whitney said she received a lot of compliments about the lifeguard crew many of which were 15 and 16 years old. She believes swimming lessons went well.
Park Superintendent Jason Shuler said he was looking for a recommendation from Whitney for a new Trenton Family Aquatic Center manager. She said she had one “ready to go,” as this was Whitney’s last year as the pool manager.
Shuler mentioned the pool bathhouse has been winterized. The filter building will be winterized after the Missouri Day Festival. Park Board member Gary Schuett reported 23 trees are left in the nursery with many of the trees planted this year. Eight new trees were planted at Gladys Grims Park and two were replaced. About 12 trees were replaced at Moberly Park that were damaged by deer and vandalism. Schuett commented that bare-root trees have helped the Park Department save “a lot of money.”
Shuler said an additional swing frame has been ordered to accommodate a wheelchair swing and is scheduled to arrive later this month. The Park Department can begin construction after the frame arrives. Helmandollar noted the Trenton Rotary Club donated the wheelchair swing to the Park Department.
He said a terrace is being put in at Gladys Grimes to help keep water from running across the playground area. Park Board member Curtis Crawford said the Facilities Committee needs to meet to discuss a few topics.
Only three Park Board members attended Wednesday evening’s meeting. They were Beth Mack, Curtis Crawford, and Gary Schuett.