County parks board to start meeting after covid-19 hiatus
FORT SMITH — Sebastian County Judge David Hudson said Thursday the county’s Parks Advisory Board may start meeting regularly again in March after a more than two-year hiatus.
Hudson cited the covid-19 pandemic as the reason the board hasn’t met. The group held its last meeting Oct. 21, 2019, according to Debbie Brewer, executive assistant for the county judge.
Hudson said the board serves in an advisory capacity for county park programs and operations. The county judge appoints each of the board’s five members to three-year terms.
Jay Randolph, Sebastian County park administrator and golf course superintendent, said the board used to meet monthly before moving to quarterly meetings. Hudson, who calls the meetings, said the group isn’t an administrative board required to meet on a regular schedule by county or state statute.
“We just let covid dominate, I guess, certain aspects of operations, and having a regular park advisory committee to meet kind of fell through the cracks,” Hudson said. “But, we intend to reinitiate that with the current status of covid in the best interest of all concerned to, as best as we can, move on with conducting life with where we are with covid.”
Randolph said although the board doesn’t actually make decisions for county parks, the county likes to get its input and suggestions. He said some park board members had used not only the county’s largest park, Ben Geren Park in Fort Smith, but other parks and facilities across the country. These members came back with ideas for the county to consider.
“It’s always great to bounce ideas off these board members and to get input from them and it definitely helps us make our park system better,” Randolph said.
Greg Nichols, a board member since 2019, said being unable to meet due to covid-19 has been disappointing. Nichols enjoys the fact the county can offer a park with such facilities as Ben Geren to help
residents and those who live in the surrounding areas achieve a positive work-life balance.
“We got to have some type of relief, and the golf course and all of the other facilities are pretty much first-rate,” Nichols said. “A good part of the process is to be able to help offer that.”
The Quorum Court has been able to continue meeting in person during the covid pandemic by holding meetings at the safe shelter at Ben Geren Park. The facility is large enough to allow for social distancing, although justices of the peace can still participate remotely.
Hudson said the county didn’t prioritize the Parks Advisory Board to meet in a similar way or through online means such as Zoom.
“It doesn’t mean it’s not important, but it wasn’t required, and so we had the option to continue to not meet until we felt it was more appropriate based on the covid matter,” he said.
The terms of all five board members began in 2019 and expire this year, according to the Sebastian County website. Hudson said he intends to reappoint any member who wants to continue serving in light of the recent lack of meetings. The board members aren’t paid for their services.
Nichols said he plans to stay on the board.