On Monday, Feb. 22, county representatives interviewed applicants for the County Service Area 36 Advisory Council. An additional applicant, John Metroka Jr., filed his application prior to the scheduling of interviews, bringing the total to 11 applicants for a five-member council.

Other applicants include Mark Davis, Kathy Wilson, Ginger Dagnall, Susan Nash, David Hunt, Bill Faurot, Bonnie Carpenter, Wendy Read, Reba Coulter and Amber Booth.

Opal Hellweg, 3rd District Supv. Chuck Washington’s legislative assistant, reviewed the steps that remain prior to seating a new council. First, Washington will review the records of applicant interviews. He will then make his recommendations on the five to be seated and forward that to the full Board of Supervisors for approval. Hellweg suggested the submission of selected applicants to the Board of Supervisors would likely be in March. Once the CSA 36 Advisory Council is appointed, the county will determine frequency of meetings and set meeting dates, times and venue.

As in the past, the public is allowed to attend these meetings. The council advises the supervisor on matters relating to county-managed recreation and streetlight maintenance within the CSA district. It has no policy-making role.

County officials, currently responsible for managing community recreation, are tasked to attend these public meetings and report to the community on recreation programs and how property tax dollars are being spent on recreation programs.

The public meetings provide the community opportunities to question particular recreation programs, funding and make their desires and suggestions known to the supervisor.