Sunbury, Berkshire Township and Galena move to form a joint recreation district

Mayor Joe St. John said the city, Berkshire Township and the Village of Galena have worked to form a Joint Recreation District that will assess the feasibility of a community center and coordinate recreational programming across jurisdictions.

St. John said Sunbury and Berkshire have already passed enabling legislation and appointed initial board members; he said Galena was expected to pass its legislation the Monday following the address. The district’s first task will be a needs assessment covering financing options and long-term sustainability.

He named several inaugural board members from Sunbury — Bernie Cooley and Jody Greiger — and from Berkshire Township — Maria Sabeda and Greg Elliott — and said the commission will finalize recommendations by June and forward proposed charter amendments to city council for review in July. He compared the JRD model to the existing multi-jurisdiction BST and G fire department as an example of shared services.

St. John said the JRD is intended to pool municipal resources, plan facilities and programing for a growing population in the area and that early work will focus on feasibility, financing and long-term sustainability. He did not present a final operating agreement or financing plan during the address.