BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
At its regular meeting, Oct. 21, 2024, the Union County Board of Commissioners discussed proposed plans to modify the status and by-laws of the Union County Recreation Board.
The board approved a resolution to reform the recreation board in a new corporate structure. This move is made expedient due to the withdrawal of the City of Lake Butler from the interlocal agreement which made the board a joint responsibility for the city and the county.
The resolution also authorized City Attorney Russ Wade to file the articles of incorporation and to establish bylaws for the corporation since the current bylaws are still attached to the interlocal agreement with the city.
The measure would still leave the BOCC as the ultimate authority over the recreation department – appointing board members and the chair. It would also make it much easier for the recreation board to obtain 501-3c non-profit status.
The newly drafted bylaws require that the rec board’s finances be subject to an annual audit, as in all other county departments. The wording in the bylaws document supplied to commissioners with the proposed resolution originally stated that the audit was to be done by the county’s auditor, but after discussion, it was decided to change that verbiage to Union County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Kellie Rhoades. Rhoades said it would be no problem for her and her staff to do the annual audit and that it would save the county money, preventing fees from being added to the audit cost by adding another department.
The bylaws cover such items as the purpose and powers of the recreation board, the handling of various sorts of income (budget allocations, donations, grants, devises and bequests) and the rules concerning the acquisition and disposal of real property, which cannot be done without prior approval of the BOCC.
Membership of the recreation board is set at five members to serve without compensation with each being a voting member and all appointed by the BOCC. Recreation Board member terms are set at four years, staggered so that no more than two members of the serving board are up for appointment in a single year. Board members who have served may be reappointed when their term expires. Board members can also be recalled and relieved of duty by the BOCC.
The recreation board will be responsible for scheduling all activities and using the facilities at the O.J. Phillips Recreation Complex unless otherwise directed by the BOCC. The board will be required to meet at least quarterly, and all meetings will be open to the public and advertised as required by Florida Statutes.
Members of the recreation board will not be authorized to make any purchases or incur any obligation to the county without the prior approval of the majority of the members of the BOCC at a regular or special meeting. The board may be dissolved at any time by a vote of the BOCC.
Commissioner Donna Jackson moved to approve both the resolution and the attached bylaws, which was seconded by Commissioner Willie Croft. The motion passed 4-0.
