Concerns Raised Over Future Of Joint Chatham Recreation Program

CHATHAM, NJ — The Chatham Township Committee recently voted 3-2 to "terminate/renegotiate" the 2016 amendment that established a joint recreation director for the township and borough.

The committee unanimously voted last week to authorize the administration to offer the position to Larry McCann, who will begin on an unspecified date.

The decision to renegotiate certain aspects of the Joint Recreation Program, which organizes joint travel teams made up of both borough and township residents, has some residents concerned about the agreement's future.

During the public comment section of the meeting, one parent spoke up saying, "my son has the opportunity to be on a team with other Chatham kids from both the township and the borough. For some children with disabilities, these are the only opportunities they have to be part of a team and for mentors, this is the beautiful experience of what inclusion should look and feel like."

In response to the community's claims, the committee stated that the newly passed resolution makes no changes to the Joint Recreation Program and that a decision to terminate the agreement has not been made.

"That agreement was done via ordinance. If we were to terminate the Joint Recreation Agreement, you would know about it. It would be an introduction to the ordinance and then a public hearing before approval," Mayor Ashley Felice said.

The committee's only official decision has been to terminate the shared services agreement with Chatham Borough, with the goal of returning to the days when each municipality had its own recreation director.

According to township officials, the position of recreation director was already budgeted for in the 2022 township budget, so there will be no increase in the municipal tax rate for residents.

"The Township and Borough worked cooperatively in the past on the 2016 amendment to the agreement and I expect the same good faith negotiations today. There is no need to terminate the agreement to negotiate," Committee member Stacey Ewald said.

The hiring of a township recreation director will not separate sports teams, and Mayor Felice committed to her promise that coaches will be able to schedule field practices and games through a single source when each town has its own recreation director.

"Our residents will only need to make one contact for both joint recreation assets," Felice said. "We are committed to improving recreation for all ages. That includes desired upgrades as well as proper maintenance of current infrastructure."