By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
With warm weather on the horizon, a trio of Union Grove governing agencies and organizations are planning for outdoor recreation accommodations.
One of those overtures has come by way of a renewed agreement concerning the use of large and small baseball diamonds at Union Grove Elementary School, 1745 Milldrum St., for league games and programs sanctioned through the local parks and recreation department.
Annually, the Village of Union Grove, which oversees parks and recreation programming, enters into a memorandum of understanding with Union Grove Joint No. 1 School District, the legal name for Union Grove Elementary School.
Rounding out the mix of contractual participants is the Union Grove Youth Baseball Association.
For its part, the Village Board signed off on the MOU at its meeting Feb. 22. Clerk-Treasurer Jill Kopp said there were not any changes to this year’s agreement, compared to prior years.
“This is a very routine agreement that we do each year,” Kopp said. “We had our (municipal) attorney review it, as we always do. It’s a formality for us.”
While the league games and sports and recreation programs might appear seamless since the parks and recreation department and school grounds are each funded, in part, through taxpayer dollars, the MOU is a necessity since different governing agencies oversee the various functions.
“We’ve been in this shared agreement for quite a while,” Kopp said.
Because school grounds are used, the MOU, as it always has, sunsets on Sept. 1 so games do not interfere with school activities. Other provisions include a pledge from the village to maintain the grounds during the summer months, when games are held.
In other recent business, the Union Grove Village Board:
- Discussed the Central Racine County Health Department’s annual report for 2015. Last year was a pivotal year for the agency, which added a number of new communities into its auspices after the Burlington-based Western Racine County Health Department was disbanded.
As a larger organization, the health department has undertaken some more grandiose and broad-based initiatives. Throughout the agency’s jurisdiction – which covers most of Racine County – staffers made 1,196 home visits to new and expectant parents and conducted 1,100 inspections of licensed establishments.
- Received a report on recent activity within the village Community Development Authority (CDA). One issue under review within that appointed committee is assistance in taking part in the Rails to Trails program, which aims to link bike and pedestrian accommodations through the Western Racine County area.
- Received a report from the Recreation and Welfare Committee. Highlights from that group include upcoming spring and summer registration activities.
The village parks and recreation department is currently accepting registration for several activities – including T-ball, fast pitch baseball and soccer – through Monday, Feb. 29. Beginning Tuesday, March 1, a waiting list was be established.
Also in the works is a volunteer-driven park cleanup day that has been earmarked for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 30.
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