by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
If you are someone who enjoys spending time in any of the St. Joseph City parks, maybe you would be interested in becoming a park board member to help with park planning.
The St. Joseph Park Board, which is an advisory board serving the City Council, is seeking new members.
City Administrator Judy Weyrens said the Park Board consists of six members and there are currently three open positions which need to be filled.
She said the city is looking for community members who want to be part of the Park Board to vision and plan for recreation development.
Park Board members serve three-year terms, however, two of the current vacancies are midterm. Therefore, one open position is three years, one is two years and one is one year.
Current members include Andy Deuhs, Sharon Rennie, and Alyssa Rennie. Members who are leaving include John Anderson, chair; Marguerite Fogarty and Jodi Keehr.
They recently updated the master park plan for the East park and have decided to start the park development with plantings.
Members have also completed items such as developing a dog park, purchasing playground equipment and replacing the Millstream Park shelter.
The Park Board has also been busy working on recreational options in the area such as pickleball. They have been discussing the use of the gym at the community center and are working with the St. Cloud school district to schedule programming.
Weyrens said the city maintains more than 175 acres of parkland. The Park Board helps with the development but does not get involved with the day-to-day operations.
People interested in becoming a Park Board member should submit an application to the city offices. The mayor reviews the applications and recommends applicants for appointment. This is usually done in January. If a vacancy occurs midyear, the appointment is made at that time.
Weyrens said city staff are part of the Park Board as liaisons but are not voting members.
For additional information, call 320-363-7201 or visit the city website at cityofstjoseph.com.
The St. Joseph Park Board is currently seeking applicants to fill three vacancies on the board. Park Board members recently helped update the shelter building at Millstream Park.
