Monessen: Major changes proposed for rec board

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

Monessen council approved the first reading of an amendment that would alter the way the city’s recreation board does just about everything Tuesday night, but some board members have concerns.

If passed, the new amendment would increase the size of the board from its current five-member structure to a seven-member format. Members would be appointed by the mayor and approved by city council.

Board Chairman Ed Lea said Tuesday he has several concerns about the changes, beginning with why they weren’t mentioned during a 90-minute joint council and rec board meeting held Saturday.

Mayor Matt Shorraw said he emailed the recreation board members a copy of the ordinance Tuesday afternoon before the council meeting and told them they had one month to make comments on it before the second and final reading of the amendment in April.

Lea said the change in the number of members wasn’t mentioned in the resolution council passed last month and it wasn’t discussed during the meeting Saturday.

“Nor was the board consulted regarding these major changes,” Lea said after the meeting. “I feel his addition of two members is his way of stacking the board with his appointments to gain the majority vote. This is the second time he promised to work with the board on changes and didn’t follow through with his promise or agreements to work with the board.”

Shorraw said Tuesday night that the amendment covers a lot of things that were discussed during the Saturday meeting, including laying out a process that requires the board to have bylaws, outlines the guidelines for facility use and the use of security cameras in the Civic Center and makes a provision for an open-gym day.

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