Lots of interest shown to fill top post within NL Rec Authority

Plenty of interest has been expressed to fill the top post within the Northern Lehigh Recreation Authority.

Walnutport Borough Councilwoman Patrice Hunsicker announced during a borough workshop on Thursday that a “lot of people” are interested in filling the position.

Mike Kukitz announced last month that he would be leaving the organization after serving as its executive director since Aug. 1, 2016.

Kukitz decided to take a position as incoming recreation director for the Blue Mountain Recreation Commission in Orwigsburg.

Hunsicker said the borough narrowed the large list of interested parties down to several candidates, and was hopeful someone would be appointed within a few weeks.

She then discussed the status of the Northern Lehigh Community Center, as it is yet to be determined how much it will cost each of the three municipalities.

Hunsicker told council one option is to have all three municipalities sustain it, while the other option would be for all three municipalities to join with a partner.

“Once we have someone in place for the recreation authority, we need to make a decision as soon as possible what’s going to happen,” Hunsicker said.

Hunsicker noted that all grants the borough has received are still in place, and that the recreation authority still has many events going on for which it is always looking for volunteers.

In February, the final in a series of feasibility study meetings for the 16,000-square-foot community center at 545 W. Church St. in Slatington was held.

Kukitz previously said the community center has been in the works for about 20 years.

In August, the Northern Lehigh Recreation Authority engaged Kimmel Bogrette Architecture + Site (KBA+S), and their consultant, Ballard*King (B*K), to complete a feasibility study for a new center.

The site currently contains about a 9,600-square-foot building shell that was completed in 2010. No other work has been completed to date at the 3.1-acre site.

From the late 1990s through the early 2000s, a group of volunteers raised more than $600,000 to purchase land and garner support, which allowed them to construct the shell of the community center facility in 2012.

Since then, the group of volunteers has turned to the local municipalities for assistance.

The Northern Lehigh Recreation Authority was formed in 2016 and consists of Slatington, Walnutport and Washington Township, with a mission to complete the facility.

For more information on the community center, visit www.nlcommunitycenter.com.