JAY — An idea to set aside $50,000 to help redo the tennis courts and possibly add a third court got mixed reactions on Monday. Selectmen took no action on the requests.
The town’s Recreation Committee presented selectmen with a list of recreational needs it believes should be addressed in town to have a healthy community and attract young families to the area.
Committee Chairman Larry Thornton presented the priorities that include $50,000 to be set aside for the tennis courts generated from timber harvesting proceeds on the town’s recreation lot.
The town’s recreation reserve fund, which is controlled by selectmen, has about $82,000 in it and includes $600 a month in fees the town receives from a cell tower lease. The money is designated to go to recreation.
The Committee made the request for up to $68,000 from the fund to target different aspects of recreation in town. Some of the money, up to $5,000, was requested to be designated to each of Spruce Mountain Ski Slope and Area Youth Sports.
Thornton said another item that should be on the list is funds for senior citizen recreation. He plans to talk to the Committee about adding it.
If expenses crop up at Spruce Mountain, all three towns would need to share in the cost, Board of Selectmen Chairman Steve McCourt said. The mountain and buildings located in Jay are owned by Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls.
“As far as the tennis courts, we ain’t even going there,” McCourt said. “As of July 1, the tennis courts belong to (Regional School Unit 73).”
Money from the timber harvest can be looked at to fix the courts because they may belong to the RSU but they are still valuable to the community, Thornton said.
The courts are in disrepair and cannot be used for competition. The Jay High School tennis team has not been able to use the courts for two years due to safety concerns. This year, the team used private courts.
Thornton suggested the town step in and set a trend to help improve recreation areas, even if they are owned by another entity or are in shared ownership. They are still in the Jay community, he said.
“It’s not right for the town of Jay to foot the bill,” McCourt said. “I’d rather see it continue as it has been.”
Selectmen use the recreation reserve fund to pay the town’s share of the liability costs for AYS insurance, dugouts on town-owned fields, travel expenses for certain groups to competition, among other recreation purposes generated through requests.
“The Recreation Committee feels that money should be set aside for designated areas,” Thornton said.
McCourt said the people rejected an article a few years back to repair the courts.
Thornton said that RSU 73 should kick in funds as well.
“This is for the town,” he said.
Resident Julie Taylor said there are grant funds available to help fix the courts. Money is needed to leverage those funds, she said.
“However, we have to show it is more than a school-based program,” Taylor said. “We thought about the timber harvesting money because we knew about the vote.”
The money could be used and it would prevent a taxpayer burden, she said.
The group is also going to raise funds in other ways, including grants, Taylor said. It is estimated to cost about $120,000.
She also asked RSU 73 Superintendent Bob Wall to include money in the 2012-13 school budget to improve courts, she said.
“Our hope is for this not to be taxpayer funded,” Taylor said.
Several people spoke in favor of using the timber money to improve the school-owned courts.
Others like Sylvia Ridley spoke against it.
“I don’t have a problem with tennis courts but I do have a problem using the money for courts on RSU land. I would rather see tennis courts that could be built on land owned by the town of Jay.”
Some suggested that courts could be built at French Falls recreation area if the town comes into ownership of the property.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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