New area recreation authority begins work
Sat, Dec 12, 2009
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The nine-member North Ottawa Recreation Authority Board of Trustees met for the first time Dec. 3, electing officers and getting to work on a new strategic recreation plan.
Craig Bessinger, the Ferrysburg city manager, was named chairman.
The new intergovernmental authority replaces the Northwest Ottawa Recreation Program and is responsible for providing for recreational programming throughout the Grand Haven area. The new authority is also charged with exploring opportunities for the construction, operation, maintenance and management of new or under-used recreational facilities.
The authority was created when Grand Haven Area Public Schools and the four participating municipalities the cities of Grand Haven and Ferrysburg, and Grand Haven and Robinson townships approved resolutions in October.
The authority plans to host a series of focus groups and public meetings over the next several months to better understand what types of programming citizens want and what types of recreational facilities are still needed.
"This will be a very public and inclusive planning process," NORA Coordinator Jill Vander Stel said. "We want as much public input as possible. Currently, our programs serve over 8,700 people but the demand for quality recreation continues to grow across the greater Grand Haven community."