Young Residents Comittee changes name, keeps mission

The name is the only thing that changed when the Young Residents Committee became the Community Involvement Committee, according to chairwoman Janay Nutt.

The committee was always about getting people involved in Bella Vista, she said.

The committee was started in late 2015 to advise the Property Owners Association Board of Directors on what younger residents want from the POA. Last year, POA policies were changed to make the Young Residents Committee a formal Joint Advisory Committee, just like the ones for golf and lakes. Now, those policies will change again to reflect the name change, Nutt said.

The problem with the original name, Young Residents, was that it excluded so many people. After the committee formed, most of the events and projects discussed were about getting people out into the community, Nutt explained, and there’s no reason to limit it to a certain age group.

So far the committee has helped organize one event, last summer’s Fireflys and Tailgating in Blowing Springs Park. They’ve also been advising the board and the board has acted on some of their suggestions.

After the last assessment election, the board cut way back on plans for capital improvements, but the committee pushed to keep the beach on the list of things to be funded. A beach on one of the lakes was considered very family friendly. The board listened and is now working on an area at the west end of Lake Avalon for a new beach.

The committee had also suggested a skate/bike park like the one near Metfield, Nutt said. They also pushed for tent camping at Blowing Springs which was successfully implemented this past summer.

While older residents probably won’t be out on their bikes at the bike park, they may have grandchildren visiting who will use the area. It really is for everyone, Nutt argued.

There are still goals for the committee to realize. For example, the playgrounds near Riordan Hall, which is maintained by the POA, needs to be updated. Part of the coming meetings will be spent writing goals and preparing a mission statement and a vision statement.

Meanwhile, members are organizing a coat drive along with the POA so needy families can get coats. More information about the coat drive will be coming out in POA publications and on the POA website. It’s a way to help others while getting the committee some name recognition, she said.

There’s still room for more members on the Community Involvement Committee. They meet at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Riordan Hall. POA members can come to a meeting or applications to be on the committee are available from the general manager’s office.