Board discusses parks department, communication

Editors note: The HeraldLeader is publishing a series about the goals that city board members decided to pursue during a May 14 workshop at the Siloam Springs Public Library with City Administrator Phillip Patterson and Mayor John Mark Turner.

The board informally chose 12 out of 58 proposed goals to focus on over the next two years.

The board approved the 2021-2022 goals during the July 7 board meeting.

The last two city goals discussed during the goal setting meeting on May 14 involved the possibility of creating a separate Parks and Recreation Department and finding more effective ways for the city to communicate with Siloam Springs residents.

Separate Parks Department

The idea came from Director Brad Burns who said the Parks and Recreation

Department used to be its own department before being merged with the Community Development Division.

“I think if we look back, we used to have it as its own department and I think they do a great job … and I think it’s time for them to stand alone,” Burns said.

City Administrator Phillip Patterson said many cities have their own separate Parks and Recreation Departments. He said if the board is interested in pursuing this, the staff might want to investigate this issue and come back to the board with a report.

Burns thinks the department will continue to grow, and Patterson agreed. One of the things cities struggle with is a desire for more green space and tend to forget cities have to grow the departments that manage and maintain the green space.

“If you want us to go forward, what I would propose rather than just See BOARD on Page 3A