Wentworth pleads the 5th (or is it 6th?)

The Recreation Commission had a chicken-or-egg conundrum on their hands at Monday’s meeting in the Town Conference Room: carry out feasibility studies to determine how to prioritize projects for RecStrats, or prioritize to determine which projects warrant feasibility studies?

Commissioners debated the merits of each approach, with an eye on completing a prioritization of all recreation projects sooner than later for inclusion on the 5 year CIP list. “Right now it’s us being fed what’s on the 5 year CIP,” said Commissioner Teri Stehlik. Said Chair Bill Sauser, “Anything on the CIP list that’s recreation should come from us.” That includes projects like the Mammoth Lakes Trail System (MLTS), a new outdoor events venue, maintenance of existing facilities like the Whitmore Pool and completion of proposed facilities like the field house.

When it came to the outdoor venue, Recreation Commissioners’ feathers were ruffled by a recent Sheet article concerning the Economic Stimulus Council’s proposed new site at Mammoth Creek Park. “I’ve heard a lot of people talking about a new venue at Mammoth Creek,” said Commissioner Sean Turner. “Why did we learn about this from 3 paragraphs in The Sheet?” He added that, without a feasibility study, and without the project coming before the Recreation Commission, “I’m not sure I’d want to move Bluesapalooza to that site.” Chair Sauser added, “The Recreation Commission should be driving this process.”

But Commissioner Patricia Agnitch took issue with one project the Recreation Commission didn’t seem to be driving forward. When Vice-Chair Tony Colasardo called a “multi-use facility a dream” and “the trail system a reality,” Agnitch pointed out that “if we keep putting dreams like the community center off to the side, it’ll never become a reality.”

So how to support these long-term dreams while also picking the so-called “low hanging fruit” of projects such as the MLTS? Commissioners didn’t have a clear answer.

What Commissioners did have by the end of the meeting was a tentative RecStrats priority list, courtesy of Commissioner Stehlik. At the top: MLTS. Second, an outdoor events venue, which would require a feasibility study. Stehlik maintained that feasibility studies would only be necessary for “large projects” such as the outdoor venue and field house.

Gail Lonne, President of the Mammoth Lakes Tennis Club, spoke up against Stehlik’s first priority, calling MLTPA President John Wentworth the “sixth member of the Commission” and pointing out that “trails and MLTPA are at the top of the list year after year. Everything seems to be focused on MLTS to the exclusion of the community center and the tennis courts.”

Wentworth, present at the meeting, had no comment.

Third on Stehlik’s list was the utilization of existing facilities, which would require another list from Public Works Director Ray Jarvis to provide “a full inventory of recreation property and facilities; what condition they are in, needed maintenance or replacement, cost for maintenance and replacement, current uses, potential uses, program/operational costs, and level of service.” This list would allow Commissioners to “grade each property or facility.” Jarvis promised to comply before the next Oct. 4 meeting.

The Commission’s final expectation: Jarvis’ list will “help us start having an educated discussion,” in Stehlik’s words, about “what facilities we maintain and enhance, and where we break new ground.”