The search is on for the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department’s next director.
Interim Director Bob Callecod told the Parks Board Tuesday night that the job posting for the position
has been posted in-house and applications are presently being accepted from current city employees.
The interview process, he said, is expected to take place in mid- to late-April. If no in-house candidate
is selected, then the notice would be posted in the media for outside applicants.
A selection committee, which he said will include Board President Kent Strange, and Parks and Recreation
Foundation President Ann Beck, as well as members of the city administration, is to be appointed by
Mayor Richard Edwards.
“Obviously the mayor and administration would like this taken care of as expeditiously as possible,”
Callecod said.
Municipal Administrator John Fawcett said that initially limiting applications to city employees “speaks
to the city’s effort to draw the talent and allow those who are emerging leaders, or leaders but below
the department level, to rise to the top. We’ve always made an effort to start day one to provide” the
work for successors to be in place “and to be successful, and I think we’ve got some great candidates
here.”
Callecod, who served 16 years as BG’s parks director, was appointed as interim director after Michelle
Grigore, the former director, announced she would be leaving the post after a decade for a position with
the Toledo Metroparks.
Callecod also discussed the ongoing Building on Nature campaign, which has a goal of raising $350,000 to
renovate the nature center at the Wintergarden/St. John’s Wood’s Nature Preserve, and to build a
restroom and a maintenance building at the site.
He said that, thus far, the campaign has raised approximately $200,000, including a $50,000 grant from
the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The ODNR funds come with a wrinkle – they must be spent by June.
“We need to do something right away to be sure we don’t lose that $50,000,” Callecod said.
He said the most pressing issue right now is the need for the restroom facility, which would be
accessible anytime the park is open for public use, as well as the maintenance building.
Callecod said the current proposal would split the planned work into two phases. Phase I would be the
building of the restroom and maintenance building. Callecod said that he has spoken with Poggemeyer
Design Group, and they are slated to be working soon on modifications to original plans and will prepare
to go out for bid on the project. The ODNR monies would be used on the Phase I projects.
“We should get the first portion of the project done” this year, he said.
Phase II would be actual renovation of the Nature Center itself, which will happen when funds become
available.
Callecod also said there should be no problem with holding a dedication for the new Ridge Park property,
located on the site of the former Ridge School, in mid-July. The event would include a brief ceremony
and the setting of a memorial plaque in a stone at the site.
In the run-up to the dedication volunteers will be able to help in working on the playground equipment at
the site, and finishing up the play area. However, due to timeliness and liability concerns, Callecod
said that maintenance staff will handle the actual installation of the equipment.
Any other work at the park, Callecod said, “is certainly contingent on the availability of funding.”
“It’s going to be a very usable park at that point,” but few other amenities will be ready at the
dedication.
Callecod also said that data entry for the Parks Department’s Community Needs survey, the deadline for
which was two weeks ago, is currently in process.
Data from the survey is used to help the department form its master plan for the next five to 10 years.
However, Callecod said that anything stemming from the survey should wait until there is a new parks
director.
“I feel that any action on that should be deferred until a new director is appointed and that person can
take that survey data and can run with it.”
The board also heard that the dedication of the Black Swamp Preserve, which is a joint initiative with
the Wood County Park District, is slated for April 22.