Presentation is about parks, trails, ball diamonds, community events and a study by a consultant
By Mark Schadenberg
You would think having a resume with television broadcasting experience would result in not being nervous when speaking in front of Woodstock City Council, but I still have butterflies for public speaking.
As chair of the Woodstock Recreation Advisory Committee (WRAC), I will be part of a delegation along with Dan Molinaro at Thursday's (Dec 10) council meeting. It is, of course, aired live on Rogers TV.
The WRAC annual report is an update on items which council certainly already know about and often know more than our committee does. Naturally it's City Council which passes both the operations and capital budget for municipal facilities and they dissect the numbers line by line with explanation from department heads such as parks and recreation, police, fire, library, museum, transit, and the works department (building roads, maintaining storm water sewer system, snow removal, recycling, etc)
Topics for the WRAC report will range from parks and trails to ball diamonds and outdoor pickleball courts. Our volunteer group, which includes city council members Todd Poetter and Shawn Shapton, and parks and recreation manager Brian Connors, meets as many as 10 times a year and you could say we're a group of adults discussing playground equipment and splash pads.
Annually, we are known for two specific municipal events.
The Recreation & Leisure fair is Sunday, March 6 in 2016. This information fair is an opportunity for sports groups (and others) to set up a table and tell the community about their membership opportunities and activities ranging from martial arts for kids to tai chi for adults. The Rec & Leisure event includes more than a dozen sports groups like badminton, cycling, sailing, curling, baseball, dragon boat racing and kids football, but also featured are leisure activities such as dance, coin collecting, scouts, model airplanes, spinning and weaving, and acting and singing. Many city services plug their upcoming activities such as the library, art gallery, museum, summer camps (city run and operated by other groups), and the aquatics centre.
'Exciting Times' will be the theme of my power point, which includes discussion on the new recreation complex on Devonshire Avenue and the expected expansion of trails on city-owned land around Pittock Lake. It is safe to consider that myself and others from the WRAC have spoken to council more than five times with our opinions on the overdue necessity of the ball diamond complex for Woodstock, which was only confirmed when a consulting company named Monteith Brown completed its needs assessment report for council.
The 'Exciting Times' idea continues into the Woodstock Sports Wall of Fame discussion as WRAC along with Brad Janssen in the community events department is revamping the wall of fame to a new format -- an interactive touch-screen monitor with updated profiles and photos on those already inducted. This display will be in the foyer at the Southwood community complex and will also provide the city a secondary opportunity to promote its upcoming events and public meetings.
As for the sports wall of fame itself, there will also be new honourees in 2016 as the community complex (twin pad arena, gymnastics centre, fitness club and community hall) celebrates its 20th birthday. I was sports editor at The Sentinel-Review when the complex was completed in 1996 and it was only within the past year that the City completed its commitment to paying back a debenture for its construction. In the meantime, the complex's Southwood Arenas have see the addition of several new dressing rooms.
Dan Molinaro, who is current vice chair of WRAC, will join me at the podium in the middle of the council horseshoe. The focus of his announcement will be a park naming for Woodstock for the newly planned park in the Havelock Corners neighbourhood, which is an area best known as Senator Homes subdivision. The first phase of playground equipment and hard-surface trails at that park includes a budget of about $125,000, but keep in mind the City uses development dollars to build and design most activity features in residential areas, so much of the funding comes from the builders and developers.
Dan Molinaro
The City's website notes that delegates are permitted only five minutes to speak. It's a jam packed agenda as it's December's only meeting, but we will have difficulty adhering to that time limitation. Most speakers at City Council, who must give the city clerk notice to appear on the agenda, are there to discuss variances, building permits, community events or site plan approvals.
The WRAC is a very active group of community-minded volunteers, and we're just one of many advisory groups to council as others include -- environment, library board, community grants, accessibility, police services and sister cities (Sylvania, Ohio).
Wish me luck as I am confident and prepared, but also nervous and antsy. Here I am discussing parks, and I'm utilizing words like antsy and butterflies.
LINKS:
www.cityofwoodstock.ca
www.markroyallepage.blogspot.com
http://www.markroyallepage.blogspot.ca/2015/09/building-woodall-farm-recreation.html
http://www.markroyallepage.blogspot.ca/2015/09/woodstock-wants-to-expand-trail-system.html
http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=15&sid=3780&gid=242378
Community-minded volunteer and full-time Realtor
Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination
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