Guyton City Council took another step toward creating a leisure services board.

Council members have approved the first reading of an ordinance creating a leisure services commission and are seeking members to serve on the board once it’s established.

“I have four resumes of those who want to serve, and we’ll be reviewing those,” said Alderman Jeff Lariscy.

The board is set up for five seats with two alternates.

Council members also want to move quickly in order to help the Raising Our Children group begin its programs for Guyton youth. City Attorney Ramona Bartos said the ordinance seeks to address activities for ages ranging from 0 to 100 years old.

Lariscy also said he wanted to avoid certain perceptions of the leisure services board and the programs it is intended to oversee.

“As the program develops, there is concern this will be seen as a day care,” he said. “We need to make sure that will not happen.

“As we move forward, we need to make sure we exempt ourselves from the cumbersome requirements of a day care agency.”

Council members are expected to vote on the second reading — which would enact the ordinance — at their July 28 meeting.

Council members also approved a request for local youth to take part in a workforce investment act program. That program is made possible through federal funds provided to the Coastal Workforce Services.

The money, part of the federal economic stimulus program, has to be spent by Sept. 1. The city’s lone responsibility will be to ensure that time sheets for the workers are turned in.

The six-week-long program is designed to put youths to work in the city for four hours a day.