Members of the newly-appointed Quitman Parks and Recreation Board met for the first time Monday, April 29 at City Hall. Mayor Randy Dunn and City Administrator James Attaway were on hand to offer guidance.

Attaway explained the board is to offer recommendations to the City Council for action. He also explained that the board would not only focus on Jim Hogg City Park, but also offer input and support on projects at Quitman City Pool, Quitman Public Library and other potential projects such as the establishment of “pocket” parks in the community.

Dunn stressed the importance of establishing the Parks and Recreation Board with a formal resolution from the City Council so that the city may be able to access grants and special funding for future projects.

Chairman Taylor Webber jumped into the board’s first order of business, asking for updates on things that have already been proposed for the city’s park, pool and library and how the board may assist. They discussed plans in the works between the Quitman Chamber of Commerce and the city pool to host a movie night. 

The Board discussed working with the chamber to assist in a project involving the original center pole from the pavilion at City Park.

The center pole is over 100 years old. The board discussed options for the pole that included displaying a large part of it in memory of years’ past or potentially selling small slices of part of the pole to raise funds for the upkeep of the pavilion. More discussions will be had before the final recommendations will be presented to the council.

The board also discussed the Quitman City Library and reaching out to Librarian Delene Allen and the Friends of the Library group to see how the board can offer support with their summer programs and beyond. 

Other ideas included working with the Wood County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at City Park to see how the board could assist them, and possibly working with the council to bring a more welcoming area downtown through lighting, piped-in music and sidewalk repairs. 

Board members asked for guidance on a budget. Attaway said that no budget had been established for this fiscal year, but the city could potentially help with some funds and that the board could seek grants. Attaway also mentioned that they were beginning to do work for next year’s budget and were looking to include a line item for the Parks and Recreation Board.

The last item of business was to establish quarterly meetings per the resolution from the City Council. They selected the last Monday of the month for their quarterly meetings, with the next meeting to be held July 29. 

Board members present included Chairman Taylor Webber, Vice Chairman Joanne Wisdom and members Heather Boisclair, Lin Grado, Sheryl Laudenslager, Chris Mason, Pam Bowdoin and Sally Attaway. Their terms expire Sept. 30, 2027.