PORT TOWNSEND — The management of local recreational opportunities should be tailored to the entire population but concentrate on teens and young adults, according to material at a meeting on the future of parks in Jefferson County.
“We need to provide positive programs for kids because if you don’t, they will find things that you don’t want them to do,” Jefferson County Sheriff Tony Hernandez said.
“We are cutting a lot of programs, but we need to compare what it would cost to provide something like a skate park and compare that with what it costs to have someone in the law and justice system.”
Hernandez is one of 19 members of the Exploratory Regional Parks and Recreation Committee, which held its second meeting at the Mountain View School.
Hernandez said that as a deputy, he used to hear lots of scanner chatter about kids who were creating downtown disturbances — which decreased substantiality after the skateboard park opened in 2006.
“Once the park opened, you heard one-tenth of those kinds of calls than what you had before.” Hernandez said.
The skate park was a positive step but was only the beginning.
“We need to be taking care of our girls,” said interim Washington State University Extension Director Pamela Roberts.
“The skate park is a valuable place but it is used almost exclusively by boys.”
The committee has members, representing the city, county, law and justice and health education interests as well as the community at large.
After falling behind on its proposed meeting schedule, it is now on track to meet monthly in an effort to focus, consolidate and inventory all of the county’s available recreational options.
Port Townsend is perceived as a graying community, and this skewing should not carry over to recreational options, said Mayor Michelle Sandoval.
While stressing that her statements are not meant to disrespect the older population, Sandoval said she thought ceding the Port Townsend Recreation Center to senior citizens was a mistake.
“There is a gap in our recreational options here,” she said.
“When you want to keep a program, you tend to gear it toward the people who can pay.
“We need to consider the needs of young families as well as teenagers and those in their early 20s who have nowhere to go at night.”
Jefferson County Public Health Director Jean Baldwin said it was important to cater to the needs of young families and recognize that recreation measures the overall health of the community.
Baldwin said it was essential to identify and protect the most important programs “or they will have gone and we won’t even notice they have left.”
The committee has scheduled its next meeting at 3:30 p.m. on July 25 at the WSU Extension office, 201 W. Patison St. in Port Hadlock.
By then, members hope to gain a precise idea of all the recreation facilities in Jefferson County.
County Parks and Recreation Director Matt Tyler distributed a draft inventory, encouraging committee members to read the document and add other facilities that are not included.
Monday’s meeting was moderated by Bob Wheeler, a former Port Townsend city public works director who has been hired as a consultant.
A second consultant, Arvilla Ohlde, will join the process to interpret and allocate the inventory, according to Tyler.
The two-year budget for both consultants is around $44,000 and will come from the city’s portion or Proposition 1 sales tax revenues, according to Tyler.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
