Recreation District Bond Passes, Commissioners set to Create New Board
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The near year long journey by the Friends of the Pool & Park Foundation to create a Recreation District in Chinook to fund repairs the Ensign Sweet Memorial Park and the City of Chinook Pool have finally come to a successful end. After holding a hearing with the Blaine County Commissioners and gaining their support for the creation of the Recreation District in October, there was still more to be done. A Special Election was scheduled for voters in the proposed Recreation District to run from the middle of January to February 14 that would approve a bond measure of $750,000 for the Recreation District. Unofficial results posted by the Blaine County Election Office have the measure passing with 538 votes cast in favour and 235 votes against.
Election Officer, Pauley Miller stated that the results would be certified following a canvas of the ballots on Monday, February 27th. Assuming the vote totals hold true, and the Bond Measure passes, the next step will be for the Blaine County Commissioners to get together and form a Board to Represent the Recreation District. The time for this to occur will be determined sometime after the canvas is completed. The Commissioners will appoint five individuals to the Board. Those five Board members will include a Blaine County Commissioner with constituents in the Chinook area, a Chinook City Council Person, a Board Member from the Friends of the Pool and Park Foundation, a Resident who resides in the Chinook Recreation District and a member of the Sweet Park Board.
Miller stated that after the Board is formed the money for the bond will go to the City of Chinook to oversee and the Board will direct the city how to spend the money. The city will oversee the spending of the money to ensure that it is used specifically for the purpose of the Bond. The Recreation Board will conduct business moving forward and will go to the city when money from the bond is required. Any loans, grants to be applied for would have to come from the city as they control the spending.
The Friends of the Pool and Park Foundation wanted to wait until the vote was canvassed and made official before determining their next course of action.
