SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - The borough council voted Wednesday to not contribute to the effort by the Blue Mountain Recreation Commission to update its Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan.
The plan was last updated in 1975. An updated plan would redefine current recreational facilities and their conditions and address a possible recreational trail in the area.
All municipalities in the Blue Mountain School District participate in the commission. Schuylkill Haven borough council member and Blue Mountain Recreation Commission member Ruth Tucci said the commission discussed the recreation plan recently. Borough council members Tom Gordon and Kurt Montz are also members of the commission.
"It was our recommendation to council that we do not go along with this plan. It does not seem beneficial to our borough," Tucci said Wednesday.
The council then voted to accept the recommendation and not contribute to the recreation plan.
The school district contributes money to the recreation commission through its collection of the earned income tax. People also pay to take part in more than 50 recreation programs provided by the commission.
Tucci said Friday that an evaluation of the parks and the playgrounds in the borough was done previously.
The cost to update the proposed plan is based on population. The municipalities that are part of the commission would not incur an extra cost because an amount is already in the recreation budget, director Mark Palerino said previously.
The cost for Schuylkill Haven borough would be $7,520.
The commission was awarded a $50,000 grant from the state to update the plan. The grant requires matching funds from the county and the municipalities making up the commission.
Letters were sent to Landingville, Port Clinton and Schuylkill Haven boroughs and South Manheim Township about the plan after they had expressed interest. Palerino has received letters from those municipalities, with the exception of Schuylkill Haven, saying they will contribute to the plan.
"Everyone has stepped up except for Schuylkill Haven, and it's just disappointing," Palerino said Friday.
Decisions will have to be made about where to get additional funding if not all the money is received needed for the plan, Palerino said previously.
The Schuylkill County Commissioners previously approved $10,000 from the Marcellus Legacy Fund, which supports conservation and environmental projects and efforts for the effort.
In other council business:
- Charles Noecker was appointed to the recreation board for a 4-year term.
- Montz said the code enforcement committee held a meeting Wednesday before the regular council meeting, focusing on the dilapidated and blighted properties in the area and how to deal with them.
- An electronics recycling event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the borough compost site on Saint Charles Street. Items accepted include small appliances with plugs that includes computers, TVs and other equipment. Refrigerators, stoves, washing machines and air conditioners are not accepted nor are items that contain antifreeze. There is no fee to drop off items.