There will be “no gaps in service” for recreation programs in the city, Council President Annie McWilliams said Monday at a press conference aimed at defusing rumors that peaked this month as an April 15 layoff date looms.
McWilliams said council members have assured her that there are enough votes to maintain recreation. Two votes to increase funding for the Recreation Division failed on March 14, but the matter will be taken up again next month, possibly at a special meeting, she said.
As Plaintalker has noted in past posts, the issue of management of the Recreation Division has been a festering controversy for many months. Supporters of Recreation Superintendent Dave Wynn have faced off against volunteer sports organizers who allege Wynn has not cooperated on use of municipal playing fields and otherwise marred their efforts. Wynn supporters have vilified council members who approved a new Recreation Commission and were backed by the mayor, who vetoed the commission plan. On March 14, a move to overturn the veto failed, along with the funding resolutions.
While assuring the audience in City Hall Library that recreation programming and community events will continue, McWilliams said the council will “not accept anything less than the best from Recreation,” and that she will seek outreach to seniors and to more than the 600 children currently served. The volume and scope of Recreation Division programs has been another criticism of Wynn’s management.
McWilliams was blunt in referring to flyers and letters that helped bring out a capacity crowd on March 14.
“Our children are being fed lies,” she said.
Since then, lunchtime rallies have taken place in elementary schools based on the same allegations of a recreation shutdown at the hands of the council. McWilliams was specifically targeted at a rally last week outside City Hall.
After explaining once again that funding for the Recreation Division was not cut but reallocated among three budget lines, McWilliams took questions from the audience.
Referring to Wynn and a staff member, resident Roland Muhammad asked who would run programs if those two were laid off. Although the anticipated vote to restore funding would avert layoffs through June 30, McWilliams said it was “never a secret” that formation of a commission was intended to “adjust the management structure.” Noting people were saying, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” McWilliams said, “The problem is, we all have a different viewpoint” including one that there was room for improvement.
McWilliams fielded more concerns and encouraged everyone “to be calm and clear-headed” about the situation.
“The reality is that this is not a disaster,” she said.
The entire press conference was taped for viewing on local Channels 96 (Comcast) and 34 (Verizon FiOS).
--Bernice Paglia
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How come there isn't the same type of outrage and outcry against all the violence, drugs, gangs and crime we have in this City ? ?
ReplyDeleteYet over a recreation issue there's press conferences, lunchtime school rallies, unprecedented numbers of angry resiedents at council meetings spewing all types of venom. . . all in the name of recreation or better said, publicly funded activities.
Imagine if the same people among us, took that energy and made time to talk to their children and friends in the community about the negative effects of crime, drugs, violence, gangs, and the like -- we may actually have a better and safer community.
Priorities, folks. Priorities.
You words Plainly show your blog an extension of the New Dems.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is not a disaster for anyone on the Council it is for those of us who have children in the system. I feel our children are being used as pawns.
We will remember come June!
anonymous @ 9:48 said it right, the people in this town are willing to fight to the end for recreation, yet won't fight for anything concerning education. we must look like a*&^*&*les to the surrounding towns. while they are posting "no strangers in our schools" signs, plainfield is fighting to keep a program that's not working, not serving the needs of all the citizens and costing thousands and thousands of dollars all because the mayor and her allies don't want to do right.
ReplyDeleteWe've just had a 5th homocide in 3 months, yet, we are fighting about recreation instead of education, crime, property taxes, etc, etc, and we certainly know these should be at the top of the list. only in plainfield.
So...according to Anonymous at 11:58...If stating the truth makes you an extension of the New Dems in Plainfield, conversely, speaking lies makes you an extension of the Regular Dems in Plainfield.
ReplyDeleteYour kids are being used as pawns...by Sharon Robinson-Blame and Dave Wynn.
Wake up morons.
You beat me to it Rob! Amen!
ReplyDeleteSharon RobinsonBriggs and Dave Wynn are desperately trying to cover up SOMETHING! And they have sucked Bridget Rivers, Bill Reid and Clueless Vera Greaves right into their mess.
What is it that those two are trying to hide???!!!
The crime is an ongoing issue all around us, not just here in Plainfield. If we find something for the kids to do with their free time instead of loitering, selling drugs and joining gangs, then maybe we can start to curtail some of the violence in the youth before it becomes too late for yet another generation. How we do it is the question.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, we had game boxes at the schools during the summers that were staffed, usually by the kids in high school, and it provided a chance to play games, sports, do crafts, socialize and get out of the house with out getting into trouble. We need this type of venue here. I'm sure many a parent also appreciated the free time it provided them. I'm sure there are a few parents around who would agree and possibly even volunteer to help.