For the week of  September 12 - 18, 2001

Public comment sought on rec projects

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By TRAVIS PURSER
Express Staff Writer

The Blaine County Recreation District board of directors is considering a kaleidoscopic array of new projects to begin during the next 10 years, and is turning to the public for ideas on funding, determining locations and setting priorities.

More than 14,000 people will have a chance to participate in the district’s planning when they receive a four-page survey in the mail near the end of this month.

The survey asks residents to comment on potential projects that could be initiated throughout the county. The possibilities include an indoor recreation and community center in Hailey, a golf course in Carey, teen centers, soccer fields, trails and skate parks, to name a few.

"We thought we had a lot of things on our plate, so we want some information" on which direction to go, board chairman Keith Perry said during a meeting Thursday.

District planners will use the survey results to conduct a series of focus group sessions that will further refine the information. By spring, the board hopes to have used the data to draft a 10-year plan to guide the funding and development of new facilities and programs.

The survey and focus groups are meant to provide an accurate picture of the overall community’s needs, rather than the needs of the outspoken minority that typically shows up for public hearings.

"Rather than just listening to the squeaky wheel, we’re trying to hear the silent majority," Perry said.

One major factor that might affect planning is the availability of funding. An introduction to a draft of the four-page survey states that the district cannot afford to develop any projects without additional funds from residents.

Those funds could be raised by increasing property taxes or through personal donations. The survey asks respondents to indicate a preferred funding method for each potential project.

A project’s priority could increase if a private donor offered funding for it, board member Tim Hamilton said.

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