The Board allowed the applicants for the new Recreation District Director appointments to introduce themselves and answer questions from the Board. There are three Sub-districts. Each Sub-district will have a Director that lives within the Sub-district. The Board of Commissioners initially appoints the Directors. Two Directors will run for re-election in 2025 to serve a four (4) year term. The third Director will run for re-election in 2027 for a four (4) year term.
Joseph "Spencer" Grant introduced himself. Mr. Grant worked in the aerospace industry and as a math teacher. He looks forward to the challenges and believes his detail oriented problem solving background would be a good fit for the position. He identified outdoor sports and youth recreation as the highest recreational needs. He believed that the budget needs to be driven by the needs. Mr. Grant lives within Sub-district 3.
Sue Phillips thanked the Board for the opportunity to introduce herself. Ms. Phillips is a retired attorney with a strong interest in recreation. She looks forward to using her skills as a contract attorney to help tackle the challenges of starting a new Recreation District. She supports the Recreation Master Plan and the vision it lays out. She identified coordination within agencies as well as maintenance of existing facilities as her priorities. She believes careful assessment of the needs should drive the budget. Ms. Phillips lives within Sub-district 2.
John Beller thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. Mr. Beller outlined the task of setting up the new Recreation District with a focus on coordinating with existing agencies. He has a strong background in project implementation and management. He believes he has the interpersonal skills to successfully help build the new Recreation District. He identified that the Master Plan needs to be updated with a public outreach effort. His priorities are for the underserved community. He believes the budget should be driven by the needs as identified by the public outreach effort. When asked about an aquatic facility, he stated that the Recreation District would not be able to build a facility, but could help with maintenance and operations. Mr. Beller lives in Sub-district 2.
Liv Goodale thanked the Board for their time. Ms. Goodale has worked in local government both for the Town of Jackson and the City of Victor. She is a backcountry horseperson and does all of the "other" outdoor recreation opportunities with her family. She believes the most urgent need is the existing parks and the river access points. Understanding the available funds before adding facilities is critical. Ms. Goodale lives in Sub-district 1.
Ari Kotler thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. Mr. Kotler has been on the Board of Teton Valley Foundation since it merged with the Teton Basin Ice Rink Foundation. He was instrumental in fundraising for the rink and helping to manage the project once funded. He looks forward to positively impacting the community on a project by project basis. Mr. Kotler identified the existing parks need for maintenance including the Fairgrounds. He lives in Sub-district 1.
Katie Garlick thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. Ms. Garlick has been looking for an opportunity to get more involved in the community since moving from Colorado. Parks and Recreation are near and dear to her heart. She has a lot of administrative background in large organizations. She looks forward to bringing a greater variety of recreation opportunities. She believes the role of the Board will be to gather community input in terms of the needs and budget. Ms. Garlick lives in Sub-district 1.
Sara Warhol thanked the Board. Ms. Warhol has worked at Grand Targhee and has a degree in Outdoor Recreation. She identified organization as the highest need, to include coordination between agencies. In addition, some basic facilities like restrooms at existing facilities. She believes the Master Plan should be updated through community input to help drive the budget. She lives in Sub-district 3.
Phillip Moulton introduced himself. He grew up in Utah but spent as much time as he could recreating in the valley with his grandparents. He has coached little league and been on the Little League Board for years. He believes his diverse background would provide a lot of value. He identified getting existing parks and facilities upgraded as a priority. He believes the Board needs to identify their values and let that drive the budget. Mr. Moulton lives in Sub-district 2.
Robert Boyles introduced himself. He stated that though he was against the formation of the District, he would like to see it be successful within the confines of what funds are available. He believes the highest need for recreation improvements would be basic needs like sidewalks in the cities, and taking over the city parks to avoid city residents being double taxed. He would only like to fund projects that don't incur long term maintenance. He is opposed to building an aquatic facility. Mr. Boyle lives in Sub-district 2.
Board deliberation. The Board noted the high quality of all the applicants. The Board started discussing the candidates in District 3 first. Due to her educational background in Outdoor Recreation and stated priorities, the Board preferred Sara Warhol.
The Board discussed Mr. Beller's resume and experience and knowledge of the Recreation Master Plan, in project management, and involvement in formation of the District. The Board expressed some reservation with his willingness to help maintain an aquatic facility. The Board discussed the necessary qualifications of Directors, to include knowledge of local government, project management, and budgets.
Finally, the Board discussed the Sub-district 1 applicants. They identified Liv Goodale and Ari Kotler as the strongest candidates, each with different strengths.
The Board hoped that the applicants that were not selected would stay involved and consider running when the seats are up for re-election.