With the award of the County Service Area 36 recreation contract, the nonprofit San Jacinto Mountain Community Center is set to manage parcel-tax-funded community recreation beginning in January 2017.
And with the move, community recreation management returns to a local, on-Hill organization.
As reported in last week’s edition, Michael Franklin, Economic Development Agency project manager for CSAs, said a 90-day memorandum of understanding between SJMCC and Riverside County takes effect on Tuesday, Jan. 3, with subsequent approval by the board of supervisors. “CSA 36 will contribute $180,000 annually from the CSA 36 Special Assessment toward operations,” said Franklin.
Janice Lyle, SJMCC board president said, “The immediate goal is to make the transition as seamless as possible, keeping all programs currently in place.” She said she is in conversation with Bob Lewis regarding contractual details and that he will continue recreation management in the interim. “Both EDA and I hope to resolve the contractual details within the next week or so,” said Lyle. “Our goal is to make local management more efficient and effective in meeting local recreational desires and to deliver programs in a financially expedient and responsible way.
“We’ll be holding public meetings in the future to explain where we stand on both recreation management and the building of the community center. We plan to keep the [CSA 36 recreation program] status quo though May, because of end-of-school issues.”
Lyle said her board will use that period to get a better understanding of community recreation desires. “Pete Capparelli will head a sub-committee to work with CSA 36 and the community to provide full financial reports on use of tax money, provide information on recreation programs and to hold meetings to learn what programs CSA 36 residents are interested in.”
