HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-13-1986 Park Commission Chair Letter to Commissioners �*. �♦
November 13 , 1986
A11 Park Commission Members
Dear Park Commission Members :
When I was selected to chair the Park Commission, I mentioned my
only hesitation to take on this responsibility was my brief experience
on the Commission - being less than one year. While positions on the
Park Commission are voluntary, we do have the responsibility to ensure
the existing parks are maintained, park dedicated monies are utilized
effectively, and that future park needs and opportunities are
carefully considered, planned, and acted on. The remainder of this
letter is for the purpose of communicating my concerns and/or position
on a few aspects of Park Commission activity. I sincerely hope it is
viewed as positive as its intentions.
Meeting Schedule
Park Commission meetings W�i1 be scheduled monthly. While we are
officially scheduled to meet the first Tuesday of each month, we W�1i
be as f Iexible as possibYe to adjust for other commitments, but we
should attempt to meet during the first week of the month. The
further we stray from establishing consistency in scheduling, the more
likely we W�i1 begin meeting on an irregular basis.
Meeting Minutes
The minutes of each meeting should be mailed and received no
later than two weeks beyond the meeting date. The minutes from the
October Park Commission meeting were prepared by Bob Kost and sent to
John Gerhardson with adequate lead time, but for several reasons, were
not mailed out. I personally believe there is no reason for not
communicating. If the minutes are not received within two weeks,
please call me and I wi11 follow up on this.
Meeting Notification
The meeting minutes W� i1 serve as the only notification of the
time and date of the next Park Commission meeting. I do not believe
that any organization should depend on phone calls to communicate or
remind participants of ineetings. This results in being a burden to
the caller and an excuse (reason) for not participating.
r.. .
Park Commission Members
November , 1986
Page 2 of 3
The November 3rd meeting clearly illustrates this communication
problem. I made three unsuccessful attempts to contact two Park
Commission members who had missed the October meeting. The result -
these two did not attend on November 3rd. (The meeting minutes from
the October meeting defined the next meeting - but were not mailed
out. )
As we establish regularity in meeting frequency, and in
distributing the minutes, this problem should be resolved. Please
contact me if you are not sure of the schedule or you cannot attend.
Participation
Participation by all of us is important if we are to be an
effective/cohesive group. There are only two reasons I can identify
for not participating: 1) schedule conflict; and 2) interest (or lack
of ) .
Schedule Conflict: We can best avoid conflict by being flexible
when we establish our next scheduled meeting. The better
attendance we have, the better knowledge we have of potential
conflicts. This is the appropriate time to be flexible and
adjust accordingly. If we are a part of the scheduling decision
we should do everything possible to work other activities around
this commitement.
Interest: Our attempts to participate regularly indicate our
interest in participating. If any current member wishes to not
participate any further, please contact me. If the lack of
interest develops because of your opinion of ineeting
effectiveness or content, this should be identified and discussed
as a group, you may very Weii not be the only one concerned about
this !
Finally, I would like to say I am excited about what can be
accomplished by the Park Commission this winter. We are a11 about to
receive copies of Orono's Comprehensive Plan. In reviewing this we
wiYl determine the scope of park related planning and expectations at
the time this document was developed.
What is really exciting is that the Park Commission need only
accept this as the "first step" in maintaining and improving the park
system in Orono.
,�,. �.�
Park Commission Members
November , 1986
Page 3 of 3
I believe we should be reacting less and providing more.
Since my initial involvement in the Park Commission, we have appeared
to be merely responding/reacting to petitions and vague questions
(golf course, old school building, skating rink, bike trail ). While
these things should be a part of what the Park Commission attends to
each month, they should be balanced with an effort to gather a wider
range of input from Orono residents and proposing improvement ideas
based on a "Comprehensive Plan" supported by, if not developed by, the
Park Commission.
Sincerely,
�-J . v-�,�..•z_._—
� � � �
Terry D. Morse,
Park Commission Chairperson
TDM/tln