POTSDAM – The joint town and village recreation committee has produced a draft budget for 2018-19 programs that will cost the same as the current budget.

Meanwhile local hockey players, their coaches and community members are sprucing up the locker rooms at Pine Street Arena and installing other features.

The proposed budget for next year pegs total expenditures at $435,370 and revenues at $125,600, leaving expenditures over revenue at $309,770.

The revenue comes from fees from teams that use the facilities and things such as skate and kayak rentals and advertising signs.

The amount to be raised through taxes or is split evenly between the town and village, at $154,885 each.

“We finally have a budget that is where it should be,” based on transparency and cooperation, said Rose Rivezzi, town councilor and chair of the joint town and village recreation committee, during a meeting Wednesday night.

“The budget has found a balance,” she said.

The joint committee’s creation several years ago was an effort to smooth out the administration of the program.

The recreation budget became an issue after the U.S. economy hit a rough patch a decade ago and many municipalities felt pressure to cut expenses. The cooperation between the town and the village eroded and the stability of recreation programs was jeopardized.

Years of haggling between the town and village over responsibility for the recreation budget and plans for programs has seemingly dissolved into meaningful cooperation.

Town Clerk Cindy Goliber said the committee “has advanced recreation better than any two boards did before.”

“We have a product to give our kids and our community at reasonable cost,” said Town Councilor James Grant.

Village Trustee Steve Warr said they are still working to get a pickleball facility to accommodate fans of the increasingly popular activity. He said Clarkson University is helping, offering some old tennis courts as convertible tennis and pickleball courts.

Recreation Director Trey Smutz said that volunteers from both the girls’ and boys’ hockey teams at Potsdam Central, their coaches, parents, and others from the community have put in time to spruce up Pine Street Arena at Sandstoner Park, brightening up both lockers rooms with fresh paint, and other improvements.

Smutz said that Andrea Duffy and Richie Scott “have been working daily to make over locker room number 2 that is primarily used by the girls’ varsity hockey team. The boys’ coach Dan Dorothy has really gotten people excited and helping in locker room number 1 used by the boys.” That locker room is used weekly by men's league teams. John Hart has provided some of the materials being used.

There will soon be new bathroom fixtures and the locker rooms will get new equipment as well.

“It has really excited the community and its members that use the venue the most,” Smutz said.

In addition, the Potsdam Youth Baseball Association has provided additional safety fencing around the baseball diamond behind the arena.