News from the rec. department board meeting.

The Cochran Bleckley Rec. Department board held their monthly meeting Monday afternoon.  There were some special guests in attendance.  Trey Ragan, Mayor Carla Coley, Commissioner Mike Davis, and City Manager Angela Redding.

Ragan was there to discuss starting a new soccer training program.  He said the goal was to provide training and skill drills for young soccer players  The program would not compete with rec. department soccer, but compliment it.  Training would pause during seasons but ramp up afterward.  Ragan noted that many players go to other cities for training and the program would be designed to keep them in town.

Both director Allen Yawn and board chair Tracy Rycroft expressed interest in the idea.  The general consensus was while the board would need to discuss some of the minor details, there was no problem with the program.,  They said they’d be in touch with Ragan after discussing it further.

The reason for the attendance of the city and county officials was an update on the department’s response to an Americans With Disabilities Act complaint filed against them by a local family.  A copy of the Department of Justice response to the department’s plan of action was handed out.

The letter itself spelled out the things the DOJ found the CBRD par not in compliance.  There was a list of things required to be done within 90 days of receiving the letter.  They included having a minimum number of van accessible parking spots, a paved walkway from the soccer field’s west gate to the concession stand using 2010 standards as well as a unisex handicap complaint restroom.

There were also things required to be done on or before July 1, 2028.  They included having an accessible route from the entrance to the main soccer field to other soccer and sport fields throughout the park.  Yawn said that he was ready to begin on the 90-day projects, mentioning he’d gotten a quote for the concrete needed for the walkways.

Once all the work is done, improvements will include  handicap accessible restrooms, pathways which are accessible, better signage about handicap restroom locations, as well as better handicap parking.

The next rec. board meeting will be December 14 at 5 pm.