Recreation Center Struggles Under Widening Revenue Gap

When it comes to the in Ridgefield, many town officials agree that the services provided there are an asset to the community – but the question, a philosophical one, perhaps, that arises so often this time of year while budgets are analyzed is whether its services are worth the cost?

 And in the economy of the last few years, the question has only become more important.

Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission Phil Kearns was adamant last week that the department not be seen as a business but as a public service.

“You have to think about us for what we really are and the jobs we do,” Kearns told the Board of Selectmen.

But with the Recreation Center running at a nearly $200 thousand budget, a gap that has widened in recent years, certain figures can’t be ignored, First Selectman Rudy Marconi said.

“I don’t think anyone is questioning the benefit of (the Recreation Center),” Marconi said. “It’s a wonderful facility, but we still need to look at the dollars.”

Kearns said some of the problem areas for the center have been the Littleville childcare program, which was hurt substantially by the adoption of full-day public kindergarten, as well as swimming lessons and some after-school programs.

Birthday parties have also seen a downturn with the opening of Chuck-E-Cheese’s in Danbury.

Selectman Andy Bodner suggested the business model needs reworking if the facility is not carrying itself with membership dues.

“It reflects our mission,” Kearns answered. “With about six thousand members, we ask ourselves, ‘Is $135 good?’ And we can change that to $250, but it doesn’t seem right.”

Over 85 groups use the building for various activities and meetings.

Selectmen Di Masters and Barbara Manners both touted the invaluable and priceless nature of the facility, conceding that the business model wasn’t perfect.

Kearns and Parks and Recreation Director Paul Roche also mentioned some capital projects to increase the marketability of the facility, as well as provide services the town needs, Kearns said.

One of these is the Spray Bay water park, which was , again having mostly to do with the initial cost of such a project – the department insists it would pay for itself.

Another project the department is eying for the coming year is an outdoor pavilion for education and summer camps.

“There is no comparable facility in town,” Kearns said. “It’s not an ambulance, but it’s another way to show prospective members why it’s worth joining.”

These projects, Kearns said, are on a “conveyor belt” of necessary renovations coming up, including $250 thousand for the Ballard Park playground and $150 thousand to renovate the wellness center – for that reason, he said, the Spray Bay and the pavilion would need to be done this year or not at all.

Selectman Maureen Kozlark suggested that spending money to make the facility better in places it is lacking now would be better than building a pavilion. 

“Strategically, we’re wearing different hats,” Kearns concluded. “We’re never going to be the Ridgefield Fitness Center; we’re also a community center.

“We understand, though,” he said, “that in a revenue-focused group, that doesn’t always hold up.”