There is a movement afoot to establish a Wayland Area Recreation Authority.
Representatives from the City of Wa
y-land, Wayland Township, the Wayland Union school district and the Gun Lake Tribe of Potawatomis to come up with a way to have a central entity to handle and help pay for recreation activities. There hasn’t been such a program since the old Wayland Community Education and Recreation program under David VanEerden and Joan Medendorp was phased out slowly and quietly by the state more than 20 years ago.
Wayland Township Trustee Patricia Staley, one of the earliest supporters of such an idea, said, “I had been approached by several entities concerning some needs in our community, and because of the discussions, I decided we needed to form a partnering group to work together to achieve our goals.
“I had taken courses through the Michigan Township Association, which dealt with partnering with communities to accomplish like goals. So I organized a group of local officials (city, township, school, trail group, and the Gun Lake Tribe to see if it would be something we’d like to do.”
Staley said representatives have met three times and are beginning to take steps.
“We are now seeking a firm to perform a feasibility study for a recreation district, which we intend to use the Wayland School District as boundaries,” she added.
The Wayland City Council Monday night discussed the idea at length and approved the expenditure of up to $4,000 in sharing expenses for a feasibility study. Of course the expense will come out of the city’s annual allotment for shared revenue from the Gun Lake Casino.
The strategic planning meetings had been held over the past six to eight months, City Councilwoman Jennifer Antel said, and they included Wayland Superintendent Norm Taylor, Finance Director Bill Melching, representatives from the tribe, Staley herself and former City Manager Mike Selden before he left.
The group heard a presentation from Byron Township Supervisor Audrey Nevins Weiss, who has had some experience in these kinds of matters.
“We learned that our best bet is to hire a consultant” to offer advice on how to get the project moving forward, Antel told her colleagues on the City Council.
She said that planning professionals Tim and Janice Johnson have been contacted, but no word yet has been received.
Antel said she learned that six years ago the cost of having a facility needs assessment and feasibility study was between $6,000 and $9,000.
Regardless, Staley said, “We will be holding a meeting at the first of the year to talk to planners… I am very excited about this venture and so pleased to have everyone in our group excited about the possibilities.”
How much will this cost the taxpayer after a “director”, staff are hired, and budget established for this endeavor? Doesn’t government understand nothing comes without a pricetag? Even if you get a “grant” – it is taxpayer money. What’s so tough to understand? Wayland has a big problem, it is spending without foresight or funding on an ongoing basis to afford these luxuries.