The Starkville Board of Aldermen approved the joint use agreement between the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and the city for use of school and parks and recreation facilities during its meeting Tuesday.
The board approved the agenda item unanimously. The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District approved the joint-use agreement with the city during its meeting last week.
The locations that will be utilized include: Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School playground and multi use area, Armstrong Middle School playground and multi use area, Sudduth Elementary School playground, Overstreet Elementary School playground and park.
For indoor spaces and athletic facilities, residents would contact the city, which would then be directed to the school district for approval.
Mayor Lynn Spruill, who has advocated for the passage of the joint use agreement, said she was pleased to see both boards were comfortable enough that the agreement would best serve the residents of Starkville.
"I think it's a maximum utilization of our various assets both of the city's and of the school district's," Spruill said. "We serve the same constituencies."
Spruill said when the city received its park master plan, experts indicated the city's park land on a per person basis was “less than optimum.”
"I think this gives us the opportunity to begin to rectify that, and bring that more in proportion and offer different options for all of our residents throughout the community," Spruill said.
As for liability, Spruill said if an incident were to occur at one of the joint-use areas, the city would be responsible if it occurred under the hours of its jurisdiction. Those hours would be from when school lets out to dusk.
Signage will be placed in the areas to indicate the times for those using the areas. The Parks and Recreation Department will be hiring additional personnel to help monitor and oversee the facilities associated with the agreement. Police will also have these areas in their routine patrols. For indoor facilities, there will be a city representative to oversee the participants.
Spruill said once the city gets all of the aforementioned parts in place, the agreement will go in effect immediately.
"It's just a matter of working through the details," Spruill said.