By Kevin O’Boyle

Contributing Writer

CLAYTON — A master plan for parks and recreation development for this city was presented to members of Clayton’s City Council at its Aug. 4 meeting.

Prepared and presented by Assistant City manager Debbie L. Manns, the plan is according to Manns, “just a starting point.”

The most important aspect of the new master plan, Manns informed members of council, is that Clayton may now be eligible for state and federal grants to further develop its parks and recreation infrastructure.

“We want our plan to be acceptable by the state and federal governments in order to get grant monies,” she said.

Manns said that portions of the master plan were taken from surveys conducted of patrons of Clayton’s municipal parks, and the city had solicited, through its newsletter, interested parties who wished to sit on a parks and recreation advisory board of sorts.

The plan sets in motion an action plan that Manns said “establishes a theme for our recreational thinking for the community.”

The main points of the action plan, Manns said, include promoting environmental stewardship and wildlife conservation, promotes fitness, and the plan intends to grow through collaborations like grants, partnerships, etc.

Several recreational goals for the Clayton community also have been set by the plan, Manns said.

Those goals are perpetuating a “visually appealing parks system,” cultivating an air of community outreach citing “what the citizens needs and wants are,” Manns said, protects open space and established park lands, establishes a finance and resource plan, and bolsters proper maintenance of the parks system.

City Manager David Rowlands said that the parks plan could be revisited every three to five years to see where it needed updating.

Council Member Beverly Smith suggested that a dog park, where canines and their handlers would be welcome, might be something the city might look into for a possible park development.

Public Safety Director Richard Rose was asked by Council Member G. Malcolm Treon if vandalism was prevalent in the city’s parks.

“We do not have very many incidents of vandalism,” Rose replied, stating that only minor instances of vandalism occur.

The master plan was adopted via resolution by council.

In other business, Clayton Council approved submitting assessments for the North Clayton Community Authority, street lighting through various street lighting districts, as well as charging property owners through their real estate taxes for unpaid trash hauling bills and weed/grass cutting that was performed.

The trash hauling assessments drew particular interest when Clayton Finance Director Kevin Schweitzer informed Council that the current assessment is for a period nine months old or older and totaled $67,000. Schweitzer said that unpaid trash bills by city property owners total more than $140,000.

Schweitzer also received approval to amend the 2011 certificate of estimated resources and appropriations in the amount of $55,000. This reflects increased fuel costs for the Clayton Police and Fire/EMS departments. Schweitzer said that he was able to find savings through appropriations that were less than budgeted for and transferred those amounts to the police and fire/EMS funds.

Council also approved paying the Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District $7,600 for their help in preparing documents the city needs to file with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on drainage from the city into the Stillwater River.

Clayton’s director of community services Joe Klosterman said that the County agency has expertise in those areas that the city lacks and it would be money wisely spent to help the city in the long run.

The next meeting of Clayton City Council will be at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Clayton Government Center, 6996 Taywood Road.