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City Commission, Fiscal Court Discuss Parks

City Commission, Fiscal Court Discuss Parks
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Apr. 16, 2019 | PADUCAH
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 16, 2019 | 10:31 PM | PADUCAH
The Paducah Board of Commissioners and the McCracken County Fiscal Court held a joint meeting to discuss the Parks and Recreation Master Plan process that is underway. 
 
City of Paducah Parks and Recreation Director Mark Thompson provided preliminary results of a recent survey of city and county residents. So far, 1,408 surveys have been completed with 46 percent of the respondents living within the Paducah city limits.

Nearly half of the respondents said that they visited parks at least 20 times in the past year. Regarding the condition of the parks, 51 percent said that they give the parks a “good” rating.
 
A section of the survey asks people what types of facilities they would like to see at a new recreation center. The top answers were a walking track, gym, family activity pool, and lap pool.

When asked what upgrades should be completed at existing parks, the top answers are new/improved restrooms, walking/hiking trails, and security cameras and lighting.
 
Another question asks what should be developed or expanded with indoor swimming pools, walking and hiking trails, soccer fields, and baseball/softball diamonds as the top answers. 
 
After hearing the preliminary survey results, the two elected bodies spent more than an hour discussing parks and facilities. Items of discussion included:

Funding mechanisms and challenges including the inability for Paducah to impose a restaurant tax due to State law
Amount of land needed for soccer fields in addition to baseball and softball fields
Previous studies and master plans
Existing Paducah Regional Sports Plex facility on US Highway 60
Friends of the Park organization development and endowment creation
A review of existing facilities, parks, and land parcels
Public-private partnership options
Recreational programming options such as canoeing, kayaking, pickleball, and lacrosse
Facility locations to best serve the population.
 
The next joint meeting of the Paducah Board of Commissioners and the McCracken County Fiscal Court to continue this discussion is tentatively set for June 18th at City Hall.
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