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3 <br />SOCCER SYMPOSIUM TASK FORCE <br />FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS/NEXT STEPS <br />The fallow-up recommendations and next steps which flow from the work of the Soccer <br />Symposium Task Force include three activities: <br />1) Identify the capital required far land acquisition for soccer fields as part of <br />active recreational areas developed pursuant to the upcoming bond issue. <br />This activity should be completed within six months, in accordance with the <br />timetable for bond development. As noted in the Soccer Symposium Task <br />Farce report, fields should ideally be disbursed throughout the county, have <br />multiple fields at each site, and be irrigated and lighted. The task farce <br />suggested a field development model in which public entities provide basic <br />fields and soccer organizations finish the facilities. <br />It should be noted that staff of the Recreation and Parks Department and <br />E.R.C.D. have identified properties that may be suitable for soccer field <br />development and are pursuing possibilities of acquisition. <br />2) Convene representatives from the various private soccer organizations in <br />Orange County (Rainbow, the Durham-Chapel Hill Strikers, and Triangle <br />Futbol) along with representatives of the public recreation and parks <br />departments and the public schools to: <br />• establish and provide coordinated programming throughout the county; <br />• establish agreements regarding the use of fields; and <br />• develop mechanisms to ensure accessibility to soccer for all county <br />residents regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or ability to pay. <br />This body, Joint Orange County Soccer, should begin meeting within the next <br />few months and continue indefinitely. <br />3) Explore the feasibility of developing a soccer tournament complex in Orange <br />County, including identifying a possible location, other potential partners, <br />such as the University, and potential sources of funding, including corporate <br />donors. <br />The Soccer Symposium Task Force Report was reviewed at the first meeting of the <br />Intergovernmental Park Work Group on December 7~' 2000. There was much <br />discussion about ways to improve the use of school facilities. Comments included the <br />need to acquire larger tracts of land for school sites in order to develop more playing <br />fields. The I.P. Work Group will discuss soccer fields along with other capital needs at <br />future meetings when discussing the Bond Referendum. The next meeting of the Work <br />Group will be on February 1 ~ 2001. <br />