STAYING PUT — The Hancock County Board of Parks and Recreation will remain in place following Thursday’s county commission meeting. A motion to table a proposed ordinance dissolving the board was voted down 1-2, with no other action taken by commissioners. -- Craig Howell

NEW CUMBERLAND — The Hancock County Board of Parks and Recreation will be staying put following a decision by county commissioners Thursday.

Commissioners were set to vote on a second, and final, reading Thursday on a proposed ordinance, which, if passed, would have dissolved the volunteer board charged with caring and organizing events for the county’s public parks.

Commission President Eron Chek, though, moved to table the second reading, which received a 1-2 vote, with Commissioners Tommy Ogden and Paul Cowey voting against the tabling motion. With no other action offered, Assistant Prosecutor Mike Lucas, the commission’s counsel, advised the vote effectively kills any movement on the proposed ordinance.

In offering her motion to table the ordinance, Chek said the county had received notice from the National Park Service of a recreation site in the county not being properly cared for.

“We need to discuss how we are going to manage these things and one thing that I think commissioners are responsible to do, is when they identify a problem, to seek a solution,” Chek said. “Right now, we don’t have a solution, really, that, in my opinion, takes care of our parks.”

The ordinance was first placed on the commission’s agenda as part of its Feb. 12 regular meeting, at which time it received a vote of 2-1, with Cowey and Chek voting in favor, and Ogden against. Then, on Feb. 20, commissioners convened a work session for further discussion on the issue.

Ogden, who during the Feb. 12 meeting and Feb. 20 work session has offered his support for the Park Board, continued to do so Thursday, while also recommending the county’s maintenance staff be charged with the physical care of the county’s parks.

“I think it’s too much to ask our volunteer board to maintain and fix equipment,” Ogden said. “I think our maintenance department needs to be in charge of our parks from a maintenance point of view.”

Traditionally, the Hancock County Park Board has been tasked with the management of Clarke Field Playground in Newell, Cove Valley Park along Kings Creek Road north of Weirton, the Gas Valley Sports Complex and Playground in New Cumberland and Lawrenceville Park in Chester.

Cowey noted county staff has been asked to maintain the parks, and agreed it should continue, but also opted Thursday to offer his support for the board as well.

“I have talked to each of the board members on Parks and Recreation,” Cowey said, noting the group has been doing good work in organizing community events to be held at the parks and he would like to see them have an opportunity to continue doing so. “I think it would be good to give them a chance.”

Two members of the Park Board were in attendance at Thursday’s commission meeting, after which they expressed appreciation for the decision and an excitement to continue their efforts.

“This is the best possible outcome,” member Brian Barrett said, noting the hard work of the board members in putting together events for the enjoyment of area residents and visitors alike. “We have quite a few amazing members on our team.”

“We’re looking forward to partnering with the commission,” member Erin Stoddart said, explaining the board currently has activities planned through July with hopes for additional events through the year.

Commissioners, last fall, had taken measures to begin the process of amending the board’s bylaws, including a move to expand membership to 11 to fall in line with existing state law. Those additional positions have yet to be filled, and the bylaws proposal was tabled without being taken back up in the time since.