Orcas Park & Rec District Reports Funding, Program and Admin Progress

Leslie Ray Schmitz will give accounting and adminstrative support to Orcas Island Park and Recreation District Commissioners.

From the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District

On July 20, 2011 the Port of Orcas loaned the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District (OIPRD) $65,000. OIPRD has used the funds to begin legal operations, capitalize on a United States Tennis Association (USTA) matching grant to fix the Buck Park tennis courts and to begin development of an online registration and payment system for island recreational activities.

Since May, progress for OIPRD includes:

• In May, OIPRD received an interim year of insurance coverage for sponsored activities through a grant from The Orcas Island Community Foundation funded by Carl DeBoor.
• In late July, OIPRD was granted a $65,000 loan from the Port of Orcas to be repaid in full within the first four years of the six years of voter approved tax funding.
• In June OIPRD purchased “Old Orcas Rec” and County-owned used recreational equipment at the lowest legal rate of $342 thanks to Auditor Milene Henley and a grant from an anonymous donor.
• Also in June a donation was received from Greg and Marguerite Stafford toward the replacement or repair of aging athletic equipment.
• In late July, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) awarded OIPRD a matching grant to resurface and re-line the Buck Park courts to accommodate both regular and Quick Start Tennis.  Resurfacing took place the week of August 17, 2011.
• Additional support from USTA was obtained for a, train-the-trainer, workshop to take place on September 7, 2011 at Buck Park. The train-the-trainer workshop, co-hosted by the Orcas Island Tennis Association, will be conducted by nationally recognized trainer Ted Sayrahder and will prepare 25 or more island volunteers to teach or coach Quick Start Tennis.  (Quick Start Tennis encourages younger and older players to play tennis and even participate in USTA Quick Start tournaments on a smaller, shorter court). The training is $10. Sign up by calling 376-6199.
• A state approved Quick Start curriculum will also be donated to OIPRD by USTA to enable the school district to incorporate Quick Start Tennis into the curriculum if desired.
• OIPRD completed an independent contractor search and hired Orcas Islander, Leslie Rae Schmitz for an interim period between August and January 2012. Leslie comes to OIPRD highly recommended and with an impressive on and off island background in successful system development and project management.
• Ms. Schmitz will help the Commissioners set up an accounting system to facilitate the transparency in accounting that donors and grant makers require while also answering to the demands of the state auditor. She will also help the Commissioners oversee the selection and installation of an online program registration and payment system expected to be operational for the 2012 recreation season.
• In June OIPRD and OISD began collaborative and cooperative discussions toward the proposed legal transfer of Buck Park from OISD to the Orcas Park and Rec District.
• In July, OIPRD was given a $2000 non-directed, anonymous, grant through the Seattle Foundation.
• OIPRD commissioners have decided to hire independent contracted services as needed in lieu of hiring permanent staff at this time. Many traditional OIPRD Fall programs have been “picked up” by other providers and the Commissioners feel the Districts start-up operations can be most efficiently handled by the Board.  Monies that might have gone to staffing are being directed toward infrastructure, like the accounting set up and the new online system.