Effingham County commissioners will meet with members of the county’s recreation board as part of a process to come up with a master plan for the county’s recreation needs.

Commissioners have set a Sept. 9 meeting with the recreation board.

“We had contemplated a joint meeting between you all and the recreation board, the stakeholders, and the staff to begin the process,” interim county administrator Toss Allen said.

Allen said the initial discussion could take two to three hours, and if commissioners wanted to include public input, that could be done.

“I thought it would be more beneficial to have a good idea of what the board wants before it opening it up to the public,” he said. “That way, you have more of a unified voice before you address the public’s comments.”

CHA Consulting was awarded a contract last month for $24,560 to put together a 10-year master plan to accommodate current and expected future recreation needs. The firm will develop a questionnaire for the recreation board, which also will be presented to commissioners.

A workshop with commissioners and rec board members will determine needs and gauge satisfaction with existing facilities. It also will review existing facilities.

Under CHA’s scope of work, the firm also will assess demographic and geographical information to measure participation and interest in facilities and parks. It also will develop a list of unmet needs and desires for parks and facilities and prioritize the list, based upon a review with county staff.

The firm also expects to have its work done within six weeks.

“The only schedule we’re trying to keep is the one in the request for proposals,” Allen said. “We can take as long as you want and get as much information as you want.”