Parks board looks into community center options

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Daily Mail

Monday night the Nevada parks board approved having Allegier Martin take a look at the community center to see if it is feasible to renovate the current facility and then add a new gymnasium on the north side of the building.

Since the city already has contracted with Allegier Martin to provide engineering services, the parks board will not have get bids before they have a study performed.

"If it's not salvageable, then we know what we have to do," Jim Novak, parks board president, said.

Novak said that they also want to have Allegier Martin tell them if they think it is feasible to put an addition on the north side.

"If an addition is not a feasible option, then we will need to renovate the current facility," he said.

Novak said that based on the estimates they have received to build a new community center, they would not be able to put up much of a facility with the $3.5 million that is available from the parks sales tax.

In a related matter the board voted to use up to $20,000 of the capital improvement sales tax money to drill a well at the Frank E. Peters Golf Course to supplement the lakes for irrigating the fairways at the golf course. If it is possible they also would like to use the well to water the ball fields at the Twin Lakes complex.

The board also took under consideration a request from Bob Kerbs to build a second practice field at Marmaduke Park at a cost of about $3,000.

In other business the board:

* Approved a request from Brian Leonard, Nevada High School golf coach, to hold the Nevada High School Golf Academy July 7-11. The board also decided to allow the NHS boys and girls golf team members to practice on weekends and other times when the golf coach is not present at no charge.

* Approved three of the four Adopt-A-Park proposals submitted. Revolutionaries for a Better Tomorrow will pick up trash from the walking trail around Walton Lake; Reality and Responsibility will clean up at Spring Street Park to fulfill their Juvenile Court community service requirements; Occupation Readiness, from the High School, will clean up the Walton Park play area.

The fourth proposal from Dawg Athletics was postponed until the entire parks board is present. Jim Novak and fellow board member Marci Pritchett are a part of the Dawg Athletics program and there was not a quorum present without their votes.

* Approved holding a 5K run on June 21 during the 2008 Bushwhacker Days celebration.

* Directed Robin McHugh, parks and recreation director, to talk to Nevada City Manager Bill McGuire and Bill McCaffree, city attorney, about the next steps they need to take to sell beer at the golf course.

McHugh also told the board that the department will host a Junior Olympics Skills Competition this spring. They will have basketball and tennis on April 26 at the Community Center and soccer and track and field on May 3 at McHugh Field.