Bartholomew County to address parks situation

The first draft of a plan to address Bartholomew County parks was delivered Thursday to the county parks board. Ed Curtain, the consultant hired by the board, explains that there are 12 county parks facilities. As there is no paid parks staff, much of the upkeep and maintenance at these facilities are handled by volunteers.

County officials are debating hiring at least one full-time employee to help with park upkeep. In his presentation, Curtain suggested the county may want to hire one full-time employee and one part-timer. He also raised the possibility of closing some sites. While no official action was taken, discussion indicated that possible closures include the parks in Clifford and Elizabethtown.

The parks board didn’t delve into the specifics, as they had received the draft just minutes before the start of the meeting. Officials are looking into posting the draft on the county’s website, but as of Thursday evening, that hasn’t happened.

Board members agreed to look over the plan and discuss it further at their next meeting in January.