Riley County Park Advisory Board

Members

The Riley County Park Advisory Board consists of representatives from the following organizations or agencies:

City of Randolph - Janie Dunstan

Fairmont Community - Joe Edmunds, Chair

City of Riley - Alan Brown, Vice Chair

City of Ogden - Mariah Boller

Riley County Extension Council - Tim Kilgore

Riley County Fair Board - Jason Haller
City of Leonardville - Deandra Anderson

2 Reps from the Township Assn. - Jim Steele, Ralph Wahl

City of Manhattan - Mike Roediger

3 Representatives at large - Melanie Klein, Dave Schoneweis, Tom Finney

Keats Lions Club - Ronald Pauli

Staff

Park Supervisor - Greg Lund

Extension Director - Jennifer Wilson

Agriculture Agent - Gregg Eyestone

Meetings

Meetings will be held in March, June, September and December each year, at 7:00 p.m., on the second Tuesday of the month. Other special meetings can be held as needed. The general public is invited to attend all park advisory board meetings.

Responsibilities

The County Park Board is responsible for:

• Evaluating county park needs
• Developing a plan to meet those needs
• Establishing priorities for park improvements
• Recommending the allocation of money from the park budget for funding the planned improvements

Local Park Boards

In each community, a local park board is established for the purpose of planning park facility improvements. Local city governments will be responsible for maintaining all improvements or facilities funded by the county for their community. Each organization or agency will be asked to recommend an appointee to the County Commission to represent their group on the advisory board when a vacancy occurs.

Funding Sources

Initially, the County Commission enacted legal provisions under K.S.A. 19-2801, 19-2802, and 19-2803, to levy ad valorem taxes up to 0.5 mil, for the improvement of park and recreational facilities in the cities of Leonardville, Manhattan, Ogden, Riley and the rural areas of Riley County. Funds are now budgeted each year in the general fund. A variety of grants, gifts and agreements to cost-share with other agencies provide additional funds for some projects.

Appointments to the Board

The Riley County Clerk will assist the County Commission with maintenance of the parks advisory board membership roster. If a member is appointed as a representative from the Extension Council, Fair Board, or Township Officers Association, their appointment to the park board will coincide with their term on the other boards. The County Clerk will annually review the membership roster to renew or request new representatives for appointment by the County Commission.