Tourist Commission To Take Control Of Anderson-Dean Community Park
File image.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
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County and city officials want the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Tourist Commission to take over Anderson-Dean Community Park.
The park’s board of directors learned about the plan at a special-called meeting on Thursday, May 7.
Mercer County Judge-Executive Sarah Steele told the park board that the idea first came up during meetings between county and City of Harrodsburg officials, who both own the park and split expenses. Despite the coordinated efforts by the county, city and park board to improve the park—including major renovations to the pool and the athletic facilities—Steels said, “We still see things we want to improve on.”
Steele, who also serves on the park board, said they are working to dissolve that board and transfer authority to the tourist commission.
“It’s not something that happens overnight,” the judge said. She said they are working on dissolving the park board by Oct. 1 of this year. Steele said the park board needs to budget for only the first quarter of the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1
Steele said the county and city are working on drafting an ordinance, which must be approved by both the Mercer County Fiscal Court and the Harrodsburg City Commission, as well as the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Tourist Commission’s board of directors. At the city commission’s meeting on Monday, May 11, Mayor Bob Williams tabled the reading of the proposed ordinance and an interlocal agreement until the city had completed its due diligence.
On Thursday, Steele said they felt it best to inform the park board before the city commission and fiscal court meetings.
“What prompted this?” asked park board chairman Don Guay.
“We’re looking at investing millions in a project,” said Daarik Gray, executive director of the tourist commission. “If we put that much into it, we’re going to be a lot more hands-on.”
