Gettysburg Area Recreational Authority (GARA) Executive Director Jackie Dwyer showed pictures of dilapidated facilities at the rec park to the Gettysburg Borough council at their August 26 meeting, saying that if GARA has to keep making the repairs on our own “GARA’s not going to be around.”
GARA said about 85,000 people use the 56-acre community center and park but that the facility was in desperate financial shape.
Dwyer said the Charlie Sterner building is now 20 years old, its plumbing is bad, and the building is not well insulated. There have been $80,000 of unexpected expenses over the past years, she said, and the park’s lawnmowers are old. Dwyer estimated there are $360,000 of infrastructure repair needed at the park.
Dwyer said GARA has never had a capital improvement plan, and has “just enough to keep the lights on.”
Dwyer said each Gettysburg and Cumberland Township resident currently pays less than $13 per year in taxes for the rec park. For less than a $5 per year increase, the rec park could become sustainable, she said.
Councilmember Wesley Heyser said when the park was started “it was a startup operation with no plans to put money away.” “We’re getting a good bargain for what GARA is doing for us,” he said.
Councilmember Jake Schindel noted that if GARA folds the borough will have to undertake those expenses. “It’s important that we continue the autonomy of GARA,” he said. “This could have major ramifications later.”
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Schindel also noted that Mt. Joy and Freedom townships do make some contributions to the park.
The infrastructure is “past Band-Aid. Things are going to get a lot worse, said Schindel.” He said that if we don’t fix the buildings, we’ll lose sources of revenue.
“We do seek out other revenue sources,” said Dwyer, but noted that because GARA is not a non-profit there are a lot grants it can’t go for.
Borough manager Charles Gable said GARA is relying on contributions from Gettysburg Borough and Cumberland Township and that we need to get “others on board.”
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.