GROSSE ILE TOWNSHIP
COMMUNITY RECREATION
OPERATIONS PLAN
INTRODUCTION:
In January of 2005 the Township Board of Trustees established a new and
innovative directive to enhance and improve the Recreation Department.
The premise of this decree includes combining the current Recreation Department
and the Water's Edge Country Club, Water's Edge Marina, and Water's Edge
Pool into a comprehensive public recreational program to include the facilities
of Recreation and Water's Edge.
The Water's Edge facility, until now, was operated as an enterprise fund
requiring an annual membership to utilize the golf course, the swimming
pool, the driving range and other assets of the facility. Membership for
the 2004/2005 season stood at approximately 750 members. The Township
Board felt for a community of over 11,000, the facility was under utilized,
and the membership fee limited the use of this resource. By eliminating
the membership structure and creating a millage-based program, the entire
community will benefit. Combining the operations and existing assets of
the Water's Edge facility and the Recreation Department will allow an
expansion of recreational opportunities to the residents of Grosse Ile.
MISSION:
Under the guidance of the Township Board a new commission was formed
with the following charges.
1- Oversight of current operations of both the Recreation Department,
and the Water's Edge facility.
2- Establish an operations plan that will open all facilities to the residents
of Grosse Ile.
3- Establish and conduct programs that will meet the recreation needs
of all segments of the Grosse Ile population.
4- Design and utilize recreation facilities so as to not only provide
recreation opportunities, but also contribute to the aesthetic quality
and ecological balance of the Township.
5- Foster relationships and encourage continued cooperation with community
group volunteers, the public school district, the nature conservancy,
other township departments and surrounding communities.
6- Protect natural resources within the community for their environmental,
educational and recreational value.
7- Utilize recreation as a catalyst to bring people together and foster
a sense of community.
8- Continue with recreation planning through review and revision of the
Recreation Master Plan to meet the current and future needs of Grosse
Ile residents.
COMPLETED CURRENT ACTIONS:
1- Established a joint commission consisting of members of the Recreation
and Water's Edge Commissions, including Township Board Liaisons. As appointed,
the members include:
Beverly Beltramo (2005 - 2008)* Terese Hunter (2005 - 2005)
Walter Kacher (2005 - 2008) Brian McNally (2005 - 2008)
Rubina Mustafa (2005 - 2008) E. Lea Schelke (2005 - 2005)
Thomas Saunders (2005 - 2008) Ted Van Os (2005 - 2005)
Robert Wischer (2005 - 2008) Robert Yops (2005 - 2008)
2- Established an operational flow chart to insure management of resources
and funds.
3- Prepared a balanced budget that combines operations of the Recreation
Department and Water's Edge.***
4- Appointed a Sub-Committee to revise the current Master Plan to include
Water's Edge resources to be completed by 12/31/05. Current Master Plan
expires on 12/31/05.
5- Community Recreation Commission meetings to be held monthly and televised.
Solicit input and allow community to monitor progress of asset consolidation
and program expansion. Meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of
the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Boardroom at Township Hall.
***(The proposed operation is to be based upon the utilization of millage
funding being posed to the residents on May 3, 2005.)
IMMEDIATE GOALS:
The following actions are required by the new commission to ensure the
Recreation Department and Water's Edge continue to provide these services
to the community without interruption.
1- Continue current recreation plan programs and schedules without interruption.
2- Open Water's Edge facility to the public on schedule, and provide a
quality facility for Grosse Ile residents. The months of March and April
will be open to the public during normal business hours to showcase the
facility. In addition, a series of special events and open houses will
be hosted by the Community Recreation Commission.
3- Complete move of Recreation Staff to Water's Edge facility for on-site
management.
4- Manage and supervise existing recreational activities at the following
facilities:
a- Water's Edge golf course g- Airport Recreation Area
b- Water's Edge Marina h- Playscape
c- Water's Edge Driving Range i- Grosse Ile Schools
d- Water's Edge Swimming Pool j- Macomb Commons
e- Water's Edge Volleyball Court k-Grosse Ile Tennis Center
f- Centennial Farm
5- Continue and expand partnerships with all community groups:
a. Grosse Ile Township School District
b. GIYRA
c. GISA
d. GIEF
e. The Nature Conservancy
f. GIFT
g. Grosse Ile Historical Society
h. Grosse Ile Herb Society
i. TAILS
j. Grosse Ile Art Alliance
INTERMEDIATE AND LONG RANGE GOALS:
The newly formed Community Recreation Commission established the following
goals to ensure that the requirements and expectations of the Grosse Ile
residents are met.
1- Manage and evaluate current facilities to maintain current quality
and preserve value, which
includes all facilities at Centennial Farm and the Water's Edge location.
2- Establish new programs to combine current assets and the new Water's
Edge assets and facilities to include but not limited to the following.
a- Golf programs (junior-senior)
b- Swimming programs (junior-senior)
c- Water aerobics (seniors)
d- Access to the Water
e- Numerous possibilities to be examined during the Master Planning process.
3- Combine master plan to combine Water's Edge and Recreation development
and implementation.
4- Implementation and expansion of elementary and teen programs to utilize
all resources.
5- Establish a capital improvement program as determined by the commission
and submit to the Township Board for review and approval. To include cost
and impact of recreation facilities and programs including but not limited
to the following areas.
a- School programs. (all ages)
b- Upgrade of restaurant services.
c- Centennial farm maintenance and upgrade
d- Open space interpretive trails
e- Marina enhancements
f- Centennial farm equestrian programs and facilities.
g- Airport recreation area - maintenance and upgrade.
h- Macomb Corner Park - maintenance and upgrade.
i- Thorofare preserve passive recreation.
j- Bike path utilization
k- Gibraltar Bay nature center.
CONCLUSION:
The aforementioned Operations Plan has been drafted by the Community
Recreation Commission to serve as the initial framework in shaping the
future of Grosse Ile public recreation. The plan contains transitional
and transformational components that support existing programs, while
maintaining the flexibility to meet the Island's dynamic recreational
needs, based on input from residents and community leaders. Combining
Grosse Ile's recreational assets in totality will allow the Township to
deliver a host of new programs to our residents through the Community
Recreation Department, not previously possible under our former structure.
The Township and Community Recreation Commission are committed to preserving,
maintaining, and enhancing our recreational assets for the current and
future generations of Grosse Ile.
As a Commission, we look forward to being a part of this project, and
will do everything in our power to be good stewards of these exceptional
resources to make the entire recreation program a source of community
pride!
Adopted by the Community Recreation Commission on 2/10/05
Adopted by the Township Board on 2/14/05
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