The North Whidbey Park and Recreation District has been treading in turbulent waters and dysfunction for some time.

The best way to change directions is for civic-minded citizens to get involved in the park commission.

The district’s problems go back more than two decades.

In the 1990s, a swim coach mysteriously skipped town amidst rumors of sexual abuse. He is currently held in a California prison and the district recently settled lawsuits with his victims for millions of dollars.

In 2003, in-fighting on the board led to a recall effort against two commissioners.

In 2012, the then-director jumped in the deep end by firing a swim coach and an office manager after they refused to provide him the password to the swim club’s books.

Swim club parents were outraged. The coach and office manager filed wrongful termination lawsuits. Meanwhile, the state Auditor’s Office was called in to investigate the club’s books. The director and several commissioners quit for various reasons.

More recently, the new director, and then the park board, fired the new swim coach in a convoluted series of decisions.

Last month, the park board inadvertently broke several public meetings rules by appointing the aforementioned former office manager to an impending vacancy on the board. After the Whidbey News-Times alerted the chairman to their mistake, the board rescinded that appointment.

District leaders are now looking for candidates to fill the open seat. Next year, four of the five positions will be on the ballot.

The best thing for the park district now is for citizens without agendas or axes to grind to become involved by applying to fill the vacant seat.

After all, the John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool is a great amenity for a wide range of folks — from children just learning to swim and swim teams to Navy personnel. Many older folks rely on the pool for low-impact exercise.

This is not to criticize the current board members. It’s not uncommon for small, special-purpose districts to run into trouble with the complexities of state law or personnel matters. They are volunteering their time and investing sweat and tears into an endeavor that, sometimes, might feel thankless.

The community should be appreciative of the park board members’ dedication, even when mistakes are made. However, it’s time for others to step up to the plate and help manage the district.