I Support Rhinebeck Recreation  

***LETTER FROM FORMER RHINEBECK COUNCILWOMAN LINDA SOUERS BELOW***

***ANONYMOUS AND OUT-OF-TOWN SIGNATURES, BOTH FOR AND AGAINST, WILL BE DELETED***

***2/24 UPDATE, KARRI RESIGNS, REC PROGRAM NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT MORE THAN EVER***
Agreeing to discuss the recreation director position in a public workshop represented a good faith effort to resolve the salary matter in an open, public and fair way.

Advertising the position via e-mail on Friday, without notifying Karri or consulting the Recreation Committee, violates the spirit of that agreement.

How can you recruit for a position that's not defined? And if the board is leaning toward a civil service designation, how can you recruit applicants, when only those who took and passed the civil service exam (currently 3 people) are eligible?

It's time to take the politics out of the position.

1) SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY. It's still very relevant. And forward, forward, forward. I'm presenting the petition again in public.

2) SHOW UP TOMORROW AT THE TOWN BOARD MEETING (Monday, Feb. 25), and voice your support for

--A full-time recreation director
--Well defined relationship among the recreation director, town board and recreation committee
--Open communication and cooperation among director, board and committee

Your voice matters. Please do what you can to support Rhinebeck Recreation.

Thank you for all you do,

kk



***LETTER FROM FORMER COUNCILWOMAN LINDA SOUERS***
To the Residents of Rhinebeck:

I would like to clarify some of the information about the position of Rhinebeck Recreation Director. As former Town Board member for 5 years, and liaison for 2 years to the Recreation Committee, I observed Rec Director Karri Wolfe in 2007 and her predecessor from 2005-2006.  In 2005 and 2006 the recreation program was severely suffering from lackluster programs, lack of consistent Rec Director management, a frustrated committee and Town board Liaison, and many complaints from parents.  When Karri Wolfe was hired in 2007, she was the first choice candidate interviewed by both the Recreation Committee and the Town Board,  She brought new energy, enthusiasm and professional recreation expertise to the Town.

1. This job involves more time than has historically been budgeted and paid for.  In 2007 we learned from Rec Director Karri Wolfe that she was spending about 30 hours a week for several months in the winter - spring season.  Her time increased as programming and new seasonal employees came on in the summer months.

As budgeting time came around, the salaries of Recreation Directors for Red Hook and Hyde Park were compared.  Both towns paid substantially more than Rhinebeck's $14,000: about $25,000 for Red Hook (and they do not have a town operated pool), and Hyde Park at about $45,000.  Both towns also have many paid assistant directors and support recreation staff.  Red Hook also has a stipend for a Recreation Commission Chair, and a secretary.

In recognition of the amount of time involved to do a thorough job, a decision was passed by a majority of the Recreation Committee to recommend a part-time 2008 salary of $25,000  with no benefits.  This is NOT an hourly salary, but is a stipend paid for the work involved year-round.  Subsequently the Rhinebeck Town Board did agree to increase the Rec Director salary to $28,000 which was adopted for the 2008 Budget in November 2007.  This salary was also adopted by the 2008 Town board during the January Re-organizational meeting. The Town has been paying this salary to Karri up to this time.

2. The Recreation Director is the ONLY paid employee of  the town with responsibility for soliciting, interviewing, training, managing, and evaluating over 65 paid seasonal employees, plus other counselors in training, and volunteers.

3. The Recreation Director is the ONLY paid employee of the town with responsibility to budget, advertise, program & schedule, prepare an informational brochure, organize registrations, purchase equipment & supplies, and manage over a dozen Town programs including Summer Camp, Pool classes and activities, Winter Basketball, Winter Gymnastics, Spring Egg Hunt, Bus trips to NYC, Family Movie Nights, and the Holiday Hoe Down.

4. Only the pool, summer camp, and winter sports have other employees to create and carry out daily activities.  The staff is seasonal and needs to be rehired annually.  Unfortunately, key staff coordinators for camp and pool will not be returning in 2008.  Many times the current Recreation Director has filled in for absentee staff.

5. The Recreation Director is the ONLY paid employee of the town to meet with and report to, often more than monthly, a Town volunteer committee.

6. The Recreation Director is the ONLY paid employee of the town to propose, research, and develop participatory adult and youth programming year-round based on feedback from the committee and residents.

7. The Recreation Director also has the responsibility to prepare funding grants, reports, and coordination with other agencies such as the D.C. Youth Bureau, D.C. Health Department, and NYS Sex Offender Registry.

8. Finally, current town code does not specify a structure, operational rules for the Recreation Committee, or the relationship between the Committee and the Rec Director.  The Rec Director is also not responsible for arranging & implementing capital improvements to recreation facilities.  This is a terrific weakness in the operational structure of the town, and discussions in committee had begun last year to address this but had not been resolved.

In short, Rhinebeck absolutely needs a professionally educated, creative, well organized, and locally involved Recreation Director who is committed to this community. The Town must fairly compensate this position both to attract and retain such an individual.  It is no longer possible for a town of our size and complexity to think we can rely on volunteers to carry out the daily tasks involved in running and maintaining meaningful recreation programs and facilities.  Other surrounding towns have Recreation directors and staff that are significantly better compensated.

Karri Wolfe has done an outstanding job as Recreation Director in 2007.   The current Town Supervisor and Board of Rhinebeck should honor the recommendations of the Recreation Committee, the commitments of the previous Town Board, and the sincere positive feedback from so many of our residents who use the Recreation programs.

Within the last couple of weeks, Karri Wolfe was offered a reduction in salary of over $8,000, and a change in job description that she was asked to accept in order to keep her job.  Apparently this was discussed and approved by a majority of the Town Board in executive session without notification to the community,  and without a public meeting resolution passed by the board to reduce the salary that they had approved at the Re-org meeting in January.  This is not the way for a Town Board to do business nor the way for them to treat an employee.

I hope that all concerned residents will come to Monday night's Town Board meeting.  The agenda lists accepting Karri Wolfe's resignation as Rec Director. This is the next to the last item on the agenda.

I don't think it needs to come to this.  The Board could decline to accept her resignation, and further discuss a resolution of the salary and job responsibilities.  Supervisor Traudt said himself at the last meeting that the salary amount was not a substantial issue, and that he did not want to harm the recreation program.  Well, the fact that key recreation staff will not be able to return this summer, and the town may not have the expertise and experience of a returning Recreation Director is damaging to the program.  A step back and some serious reconsideration is crucial at this time.  Town Board meeting is Monday, February 11, at 6:45 pm.

Signed,
Linda Souers, Retired Town Councilwoman
February 9, 2008