New recreation policies could be implemented in Catoosa County at the county commission meeting Sept. 5.
Following a tense Aug. 15 meeting in which Ringgold Youth Sports Association parents and children criticized the county commission for a lack of clarity and communication, County Attorney Chad Young announced in a statement on behalf of the commission that the commissioners would vote on new policies and procedures during the first meeting of September.
County Manager Jim Walker said during a follow-up interview that the goal for the policy revisions, which are still being finalized, is equity for all organizations and children who use county facilities for recreation.
"I think we will see a uniform registration process across all rec leagues in the county, and rec associations will meet with our Parks and Recreation Department in advance of each sport being played to talk about the leagues," Walker said.
In addition, new procedures for registration and gym fees will be included. Walker said gym fees for recreation league teams and travel teams may be different, and that any association that hosts a tournament and makes a profit from the tournament could be subject to fees from the county, though those fees had not yet been decided.
Catoosa County Manager Jim WalkerThe new rules would apply to any and all recreation leagues or teams in the county.
"We want to ensure usage is equal and uniform in a way that everyone will benefit the same, across all sports," Walker said. "Each child will get the same amount of practice and time at games."
If implemented, the policy changes will come nearly a year to the day after a dispute began between the RYSA and the county commission that culminated in a preliminary investigation by the Georgia Department of Investigation into RYSA President Earl Epps. The district attorney ultimately decided not to move forward with any charges for Epps following the investigation's conclusion.
While the final policies are still being hashed out by the commission, Walker said he expects the county's recreation director will be present at each recreation association meeting to answer questions and quell misinformation.
"It's my sense that the county was complicit in letting gym use and association use of county facilities get out of hand," Walker said. "It's taken us a while to get the horse back in the barn, but the commissioners are on board with some uniform polices and procedures that we think will rectify what was a really bad situation."
The meeting will be held Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 800 Lafayette St.